It’s safe to say that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is a happy man after seeing his side comfortably get off to a winning start to the season with a comprehensive 5-1 win over arch-rivals Leeds United.
The Norwegian is under added pressure this season after two consecutive campaigns without silverware and although it will all come down to what happens in May, his side is perfectly set up to kick on from this win on the opening day.
The encounter also saw a capacity crowd at Old Trafford for the first time since March 2020 and it was a fitting return for the fans.
“This is football, with the stadium full of excited youngsters, all the people, and players enjoying themselves,” Solskjaer told BT Sport in an interview after the game, as seen below.
"Yeah, you're excited, of course."
"For me, this is the way I want to see my team play."
Ole Gunnar Solskjær can't have dreamed of a better start to the season! 😄@mrjakehumphrey, @rioferdy5, and Joe Cole catch up with the Man Utd boss… pic.twitter.com/18hNGBM5kv
— Football on BT Sport (@btsportfootball) August 14, 2021
Read more: Video: Bruno Fernandes and Mason Greenwood react to 5-1 win v Leeds
Bruno Fernandes was the star of the show at Old Trafford once again and the 26-year-old has been lauded by Solskjaer following his three-goal haul.
“He’s a risk-taker, he’s a Man United player,” he said. “When you’re a forward at Man United, you need to have confidence, a little bit of arrogance, and take risks.”
“Ther’s eight to nine players that are not there today, you’ve got a bench with quality so of course, we’ve done well in the summer window. Raphael (Varane) came in today as well, which I think gave the crowd a boost and the players.
“There’s the next game, there is always the next game. This is one, great start, fantastic. For me, this is how I wanna see my team play.
“It’s not just because it’s Leeds but I wanna see them running, going forward, takings risks. And we looked fit, to be fair. Some of these players haven’t played more than 45 minutes.”
Solskjaer will be hoping to go on a winning run now, with a trip to Southampton on the cards next week. Varane could make his debut whilst Jadon Sancho will be hoping to earn his first start after being introduced as a substitute against Leeds.
