Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has said there is no “quick fix” to the club’s struggles and has ruled out making major changes in the transfer window.
United were comprehensively beaten 4-0 on aggregate against Barcelona in the Champions League quarterfinals and are well off the pace in the Premier League, with Manchester City and Liverpool in a two-way fight for the title.
Solskjaer’s side are in a real battle to finish in the top four this season but he has told fans not to expect major changes in the transfer window following a difficult campaign that saw Jose Mourinho sacked in December.
“There will be new players coming in over summer but I don’t think you can expect six,” Solskjaer said.
“I don’t think any manager you ask would be in favour of that amount of change anyway. We want to rebuild but it is going to have to be gradual, over a few windows.
“We plan to be in the top four, we plan to be in the Champions League next season and we want players who can keep us in the Champions League and move us up the table. But we know there is not going to be a quick fix. We have to take it step by step.”
United have lost five out of their past seven matches and Solskjaer has warned any under-performing players they will be moved towards the exit.
“When I was given the job there was an understanding that we had to get Manchester United’s DNA back into the club and the team,” he added. “That doesn’t mean I want to live in the past. It would be naive to tell players to do all the same things we did when I played. But I want to create a culture that we all believe in.
“When I played the manager trusted us and we took responsibility for our own careers. If anyone stepped out of bounds, they wouldn’t stay here long. That’s the way it has to be at a club like this.”