Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: "Roy has always been outspoken. I'm very glad that I've got the players that I have here with us"; Man Utd next face Istanbul Basaksehir in the Champions League on Wednesday
Tuesday 3 November 2020 18:31, UK
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says he will "always listen" to former Manchester United team-mate Roy Keane but disagrees with his claim that the current squad is "nowhere near good enough".
Speaking after United's 1-0 defeat to Arsenal on Sunday, Keane said: "Ole will lose his job working with these players - that's what is going to happen."
United have lost three of their opening six games in the Premier League but Solskjaer insists he has full faith in his squad to turn things around.
"Roy has always been outspoken. I'm very glad that I've got the players that I have here with us," said Solskjaer, speaking ahead of Wednesday's match away to Istanbul Basaksehir in the Champions League.
"We've got different jobs. Roy's job is to give his opinion. I always listen to Roy but we move on here with a great group of players, a strong group of players.
"I'm sure we'll see a response."
Keane also criticised United for a lack of leaders in the defeat to Arsenal but club captain Harry Maguire insists there is a strong leadership group at Old Trafford.
"I can say I haven't seen his comments but we don't look on what's happening, especially after a negative result," said Maguire.
"We don't bring the negativity into the place. We stay positive.
"I can for sure say there is a lot of leaders in the squad. I am the captain and I've got a lot of leadership around me as well, staff and players.
"So, for sure, there's a lot of leaders in this squad."
United's poor domestic form is in marked contrast to their impressive start to the Champions League this season.
Solskjaer's side have already beaten Paris Saint-Germain and RB Leipzig in Group H and next face bottom of the group Istanbul Basaksehir in the Turkish capital on Wednesday.
Solskjaer believes the recent victories in Europe prove he has a squad capable of challenging for honours.
"These two results show the quality that we have but we're not going to get too far ahead of ourselves," he said.
"We look forward to the next game and keep working to get that consistency because at our best level, we can beat anyone. That is how we need to go into every game."
Wednesday's match will be played in front of only a small group of fans at the Fatih Terim Stadium due to coronavirus restrictions and Solskjaer believes the lack of home support could be an advantage for his side.
"I think football now is really affected by the virus of course and the environment is not as it normally is," he added.
"Away games against any opposition… in Turkey you've got fanatic fans, passionate fans, enthusiastic fans and of course to have the home fans with you is an advantage. That is proven."
