Norway urges its players to stop expressing “frustration on the pitch” to the detriment of the club’s overall “team spirit”
Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says fighting must stop at Old Trafford after the spat between Marcus Rashford and Harry Maguire last week.
Rashford and Maguire hit headlines after a 0-0 draw at United with Crystal Palace on Wednesday after engaging in a heated speech exchange that went viral on social media.
Solskjaer addressed the incident ahead of the Red Devils’ brief trip to Manchester City this weekend, urging his players not to let their feelings overwhelm them on the pitch.
What was said?
The head coach of Norway said Sky Sports: “Sometimes it’s shortened to harassment when it didn’t work our way, we have to stop that, the fear of the pitch.
“We want to win but don’t let it affect your desire to do well. Don’t let it affect your confidence or team spirit.”
What inspired the Rashford & Maguire series?
Around the 69-minute mark of United’s position with Palace, Maguire tried to move the team forward by playing a loft pass through to Rashford, which was then marked.
The Red Devils captain was then heard shouting at his colleague “f ****** g stay on the side”, which provoked an angry response as Rashford slowed back “closing the f * ** up, f ***** g knobhead “.
Maguire shed any bloodshed between the two after the game, reports The sun: “You build these things because the stadium is unpopulated.
“But we always shout at each other in games. I have a lot of respect for Marcus and he has a lot of respect for myself.
“We didn’t even fight each other after the game because it happens so much in training and in games.”
Where is United in the Premier League table?
United slipped 14 points behind City in the Premier League title race after dropping points at Palace, and Leicester City jumped into second place after a win at Brighton on Saturday.
The Red Devils have only won one of their last five games and have to beat City on Sunday to get their season back on track, with Solskjaer well aware that his team needs to kick to the next level after re-establishing themselves as a major force.
“Of course, we are disappointed in the points we have recently lost,” the United boss said. “We go into every game trying to win.
“This team has come a long, long way and of course we have to take the next step. But, say, six or seven months ago no one would even mention the title of the word when we were talking about us.
“That makes me smile, it makes me happy that we have performed better than people expected.
“We expect to win every game, we expect to get into this game and create enough chances to win.”