Solskjaer blames injury crisis on new intense style… but stats show Man Utd run LESS than all their rivals
OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER has blamed his injury crisis on Manchester United's new intense style - but the stats show his team do less running than all of their big rivals.
The Norwegian has suggested he is without up to NINE crocked first-teamers ahead of tonight's visit to Crystal Palace because he has got his team working harder than they were under Jose Mourinho.
But the figures from Opta tell a very different story.
It shows that since Solskjaer took over at Old Trafford, Manchester United have covered LESS ground than 18 of the other 19 teams in the league, including all of their top-six challengers.
Only Cardiff average less than United's 107.7km per game.
By comparison, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea, Tottenham and Arsenal all come within the top eight teams for miles on the clock, with at least 112.8km per game.
And when it comes to sprints, United are again outdone by their strongest competition.
Solskjaer's side average 108.6 sprints per game, far fewer than Liverpool's 119.4. Manchester City manage 113.7, Arsenal 113, Tottenham 109.7 and Chelsea 109.3.
The interim boss claimed yesterday there was a "link" between the injuries and the change in approaches from the Jose Mourinho era.
Solskjaer was asked about the increase in injuries yesterday ahead of the game at Selhurst Park and whether it is to do with the extra demand on the players.
He said: “It’s probably linked, yes, because when do you make that change?”
“Do you wait until pre-season and think you will change results by just not asking them to run, or do we start now and show them what the demands of intensity are and how we want to play?
“Well you have seen what I have chosen, I have chosen that we need to play as a Manchester United team and if you want to be a part of Manchester United, it’s survival of the fittest isn’t it?”
In the Portuguese's first campaign at Old Trafford, 2016/17, United finished bottom of the pile running 4023.4km and then last season finished 19th with 4099.km.
But despite Solskjaer's comments, United are actually now running LESS than they were under the self-proclaimed Special One.
Under Mourinho this season, the Red Devils averaged 108.1km but since Solskjaer took over in December that figure has DROPPED slightly to 107.7km.
That only means a fall of about 40m per outfield player, but a fall nevertheless.
While they may be running less now, there is a sharp increase in the number of sprints - defined by moving faster than 21km/h - from 98.6 to 108.6.
And that is possibly the reason behind the increased workload for United's physios in recent weeks.
But if United players think it has been tough so far, they have a surprise in store.
Solskjaer added: "We’ve not had time really to work on the fitness, it’s been more in the games.
"We had a week in Dubai, we’ve not really had many weeks of training, lots of game time, but Dubai as you might have noticed it was more of a tactical one than a physical one."
Latest Manchester United news
Solskjaer was determined to make sure his beloved team would not be outrun.
After beating Cardiff in his first game in charge, he said: “One of the things I talked about today is that a Manchester United team should never ever be outworked.
“It doesn’t matter what team you play, you should run more than them and then your skills will give you a chance of winning.
“I said the same to these lads as I do back home in Molde - ‘Just work harder than them, enjoy yourselves, pass it forward, run forward, if you lose the ball I don’t mind, as long as you work to win it back.’”
Well, it appears they haven't got the message just yet - although the results haven't been too bad.