Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says Sir Alex Ferguson welcome to give Man Utd pep talk ahead of Liverpool game
Watch Manchester United vs Liverpool on Super Sunday on Sky Sports Premier League. Kick-off at 2.05pm
Friday 22 February 2019 10:06, UK
Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says he will not be trying any Sir Alex Ferguson-style 'mind games' ahead of Sunday's big game against Liverpool.
But Solskjaer says his former manager at Old Trafford is more than welcome to address the players if he wishes to do so.
United were comfortably beaten 3-1 at Anfield in December and that proved to be Jose Mourinho's final match at the helm - but Solskjaer has masterminded an impressive revival since taking over on a caretaker basis and is now preparing for Sunday's rematch against Jurgen Klopp's team.
Live Renault Super Sunday
Mourinho was known for his mind games ahead of big games, as was Solskjaer's mentor Ferguson.
But, asked if he might try to emulate their methods, Solskjaer said: "No.
"I don't think Jurgen Klopp will read what I say, I am not going to read what he says.
"That's further down the line, I would think.
"But he would be welcome to talk to the players if he wanted to, the gaffer (Ferguson), because we know how much it meant for him to overtake Liverpool.
"I think our players know what it means for everyone at Man United."
Solskjaer acknowledges that Old Trafford will be a cauldron of emotion for Sunday's showdown but will be stressing to his team that they need to keep their heads.
"I have played a few of these myself and I know the magnitude of it, for the fans, for everyone who works here," he said.
"There have been comments, 'this is the big one', 'onto this one' - but then it is our job to be focusing and channelling all that energy into performance-mode when we start the game on Sunday.
"It's not about emotions. I understand that emotion can be brought into it, but we have to stay focused and controlled, but with some fight in us as well."
