A report has detailed how Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has dealt well with certain members of the club’s squad.
And despite being ruthless with the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku, Solskjaer did well to repair a clear rift between himself and midfielder Nemanja Matic this season, according to the Times.
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The Red Devils saw a significant improvement to Matic’s performances before the season had to be put on hold due to coronavirus, and it sounds like Solskjaer deserves big credit for how he handled the situation.
According to the Times, Matic was not at all happy with being left out of the team at the start of the season, and a club source is quoted as saying it was clear there was bad blood between the pair.
“You could see there was an issue between them,” an unnamed staff member told the Times, but the report goes on to say that Solskjaer and Matic had a talk to clear the air.
This eventually led to the Norwegian tactician being satisfied that the former Chelsea man was committed to the cause, and it offered him a way back into the first-team fold.
Matic certainly repaid that faith with his improved performances, and the Times also add that Solskjaer and his team have dealt well with Fred after a poor start at Old Trafford.
Without further damaging his confidence, United staff gently told Fred to choose his words more carefully after an interview that, despite being largely complimentary, portrayed Solskjaer as something of a rookie coach.
The Times report adds that United hiring Portuguese-speaking coach Martyn Pert has also played a key role in helping Fred out, with the Brazil international now one of the team’s most important players.