Man Utd boss Solskjaer aims to emulate Mourinho with Carabao Cup success next year as end of season inquest begins
OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER has set his sights on winning the Carabao Cup next season.
The Manchester United boss hopes to emulate predecessor Jose Mourinho by laying his hands on whatever silverware the club can manage after a disastrous end to this campaign.
Sunday’s 2-0 loss at home to Cardiff meant the Red Devils finished sixth in the Premier League and 32 points behind winners City – the same amount of points clear of safety.
Liverpool, Chelsea and Tottenham all beat United to a top-four finish, while Arsenal finished four points above them in fifth.
Solskjaer, pictured arriving at Carrington today as United’s summer inquest begins, said: “The last couple of months have been extremely hard for the team, the club and for the players.”
He added: “More or less the only positive from today is that the season is over. We meet again on 1 July and we will work back to where we belong.
LONG-TERM GOALS
“To reach the leaders it will take a long time. For ourselves, the short-term focus in the league will be getting into the top four.
“We have got the Europa League, FA Cup, Carabao Cup to go for a trophy because Manchester United can’t go many years without winning a trophy. Jose [Mourinho] won the Europa League last and that is a realistic ambition.
“In the league, the points we are behind the top two, they have been excellent, those two. Absolutely exceptional. And we are five or six points behind Arsenal, Tottenham, Chelsea. They are the ones we have to make sure we catch up and don’t let anyone closer to us.”
SunSport told you furious Solskjaer, 46, cancelled United’s end-of-season debriefing after the shocking defeat to Cardiff.
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He had scheduled a meeting for players this morning to assess the campaign and say farewell to departing team-mates.
Only Solskjaer was pictured arriving at Carrington today while United’s chief executive Ed Woodward is expected to be there later in the afternoon.
It is understood the pair will meet for summit talks before the Norwegian flies back to his home country this week.