MANCHESTER United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes his senior players, including Cristiano Ronaldo, will be key in his side’s quest to succeed in the UEFA Champions League.
The Red Devils begin their Champions League campaign on Tuesday night against Young Boys in Switzerland hoping to do better than they did last season.
After winning their first two fixtures against Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig, Solskjaer’s side lost to Istanbul Basaksehir and failed to reach the knockout stages.
Now, Solskjaer believes with the return of five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo and the presence of some senior figures, United must aim for trophies.
“Now it’s up to us to get results and win trophies.
Everyone who signs for United wants to win trophies and be part of a United team that wins,” the former Manchester United and Norway striker said during his pre-match press conference.
“David [de Gea] sat next to me, Harry [Maguire] has been here for a few years now, Raphael [Varane] and Cristiano [Ronaldo]. We’ve learned. The group is special as a united they look after each other and it’s going to stand us in good stead.
“Obviously, he’s [Ronaldo] proved how to look after yourself and I think he will be an example to many players on how to prolong your career. When I retired I looked back at the best days of my life, you have to keep playing as long as possible.”
Young Boys are clearly the underdogs but they are the Swiss champions and Solskjaer expects them to be tough opponents.
“They are energetic and attacking minded, we know it’s going to be a very difficult game,” he added.
“Astroturf is always a little bit of an advantage at home but we should be able to deal with it really well.”
Paul Pogba has been in inspiring form at the beginning of the season, contributing seven assists in his first four games, and Solskjaer praises the Frenchman.
“Paul has come back in good shape. He’s worked really hard over the summer. He’s come back lean and fit,” he offered.
When asked if Ronaldo can convince Pogba to stay at Manchester United, Solskjaer replied: “Well, it’s up to us now to get results and to prove to ourselves that we can win trophies.”
