Ole Gunnar Solskjær expects an intense game against Leeds, a side he rates as the fittest in the Premier League. “We know it is going to be a running game because Leeds are so fit, they are going to challenge us and push us to the edge,” the Manchester United manager said.
As a player Solskjær was not frequently booked yet he twice picked up cautions against Leeds and he does not imagine much will have changed in the peculiar rivalry between the two clubs despite the absence of a crowd at Old Trafford on Sunday.
“The bookings were probably justified,” he says. “I didn’t wind referees up so they must have been bad tackles. You can always expect a competitive game against Leeds and I’m looking forward to seeing my players standing up to it.
“You have to go toe to toe with Leeds physically to have a chance of getting a result against them, then you have to take your opportunities.”
Solskjær talks of Leeds as if they had not just been out of the Premier League for 16 years, though is probably right in believing Marcelo Bielsa’s side will prove just as feisty and obdurate as earlier incarnations.
As early as day one at Anfield, Leeds have not looked like relegation material and a third of the way into the season that still holds true. Leeds have been a little inconsistent but have managed to score goals and pick up points. Since holding Arsenal to a draw in the first game after the last international break, they have won at Everton, lost to Chelsea and West Ham, then hit five in overpowering Newcastle in midweek.
Manchester United climbed to sixth as a result of their win at Sheffield United, and with a game in hand on most clubs around them could soon be back among the top-four, though Solskjær feels it is too early to be talking about title chances.
“You have to believe in yourselves, but at the same time we don’t want to be getting ahead of ourselves,” he says. “Round about March we can start discussing where we might end up, and hopefully by then we will have fans back in the ground. That would be absolutely fantastic if we are still winning games and improving. The last game we played at Old Trafford with fans [in March] was against Manchester City and we won 2-0.
“Our fans can’t wait to get back in and support the team again, and we are just as keen to give them something to believe in.”