West Ham 2-0 Manchester United: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer staying positive

West Ham 2-0 Manchester United: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer 'very positive' despite defeat

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says he is staying "very positive" despite watching his side lose at West Ham.

The 2-0 defeat at London Stadium leaves the Red Devils with just eight points from their opening six matches.

Solskjaer's side have won only two of their last 11 Premier League games and are without an away league win since February.

"I've said many times that there will be highs and lows," said the Norwegian.

"Today we just have to accept we got no points. I'm disappointed we didn't win today, but apart from that I'm being very positive."

Goals from Andriy Yarmolenko and Aaron Cresswell earned the Hammers all three points on Sunday, with Juan Mata and Harry Maguire spurning good opportunities for the visitors.

"We just didn't have the quality when we had those big moments," added Solskjaer.

"In the Premier League if you don't take them you won't get any points. It tipped in their favour and we just have to accept that."

Manchester United's miserable day was compounded by an injury to Marcus Rashford, who will undergo a scan after being forced off with a groin problem in the second half.

The forward joins an injury list that includes Paul Pogba, Anthony Martial, Luke Shaw and Eric Bailly.

"We'll just have to scan it and see how badly hurt he is," said Solskjaer, who was also without teenager Mason Greenwood at London Stadium due to tonsillitis.

Match of the Day 2: Manchester United need to play with more freedom - Danny Murphy

"[Greenwood] couldn't travel, but I reckon him and Anthony [Martial] aren't too far away."

'No quality' and 'a lack of characters' - pundits react

The injury to Rashford leaves United short of numbers in attack, with Jesse Lingard forced to play as a central striker after replacing the 21-year-old at West Ham.

The Red Devils let Alexis Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku leave for Inter Milan during the summer, and former club captain Gary Neville has urged the club to back Solskjaer in the transfer market.

"There are no centre-forwards," Neville told Sky Sports. "Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is going to need support in January and next summer. This squad needs beefing up with quality and experience and numbers.

"I've got no problem with them letting players who didn't want to be at the club go. Sanchez was having a nightmare, Lukaku, to be fair, didn't look like he wanted to be there.

"They haven't obviously been able to bring in the players that they wanted. I'm not saying they should have panic bought by any stretch.

"But on reflection, it's a statement of fact that these are the players Manchester United have got left on the pitch when they're trying to win a Premier League game."

Fellow Sky pundit and former skipper Roy Keane said he is "shocked and saddened" by the situation at Old Trafford.

"I don't know where to start," the Irishman said. "I knew they weren't in a great place. You can lose a game of football but everything about United was lacklustre.

"No quality. A lack of desire. A lack of leaders. A lack of characters. It's a long way back and it's scary just how far they have fallen."

Former United manager Jose Mourinho, who was replaced by Solskjaer in December, told Sky Sports he "does not see any improvements" despite the summer acquisitions of Maguire, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Daniel James.

"We were bad last season but I do not see any improvements, even with three new players.

"I like these three players and they are bringing some good quality, but the team I don't like at all. I'm not surprised by the result and I don't think Ole can take any positives from the game."

Comments

Join the conversation

These comments are now closed.

529 comments

Elsewhere on the BBC