Manchester United visited Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, Solskjaer sent the oldest squad since he took charge, with more than 30-year-olds Cristiano Ronaldo, Cavani, De Gea, and nearly 30-year-olds Maguire and Varane, only Wan bisaka's age under 25. But the manager has won one of the most convincing victories of the season, and the veterans have burst into more energy. After the game, the United boss particularly praised the performances of Cavani and Cristiano Ronaldo.
In particular, the 34-year-old Uruguayan striker Cavani, who has had to give up his No. 7 shirt and the main position this season, but at a time of precariousness, his training this week was highly praised by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for his unparalleled state in the three years since he was in charge. "I've been Manchester United manager for three years," said sotjaer, "and Edinson's training performance on Tuesday was the best I've seen here."
Referring to the 70-year-old Ronaldo and Cavani's partnership, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said: "These two old guys have played a leading role in the front, they respect each other, and their work efficiency and level are unparalleled. Their fit is also excellent, as partners they came to the team late this season, so we couldn't get them to cooperate more before, but the old ones are still usable!"
Marcus Rashford, who is about to turn 24, scored a goal on the bench, but he also has great admiration for both of his predecessors: "They are both top scorers, Cristiano (Ronaldo) is always on the edge of the most threatening area, participating in the cooperation, Edinson (Cavani) shot is too strong, this is the element that we need as a shooter, very comprehensive performance."
Solskjaer also called on young people to learn from the second old: "We have a lot of talented players, so they have to learn from these two veterans, and they must learn as quickly as possible. They were great, we let the opponent get too many balls in the first six or seven minutes of the game, but we overcame the difficulties with experience. I've heard it's the oldest squad I've used with Manchester United, but it's also time to use it."
The Manchester United manager naturally did not forget to praise Cristiano Ronaldo for breaking the deadlock: "What a world wave, what a hero. Bruno (Fernandez) passed well and if I had scored that goal, I would have thanked my teammates for making the pie for me. But the quality of that shot was really high."
The boss insisted the United players had not surrendered, but were not simply fighting for him. "No matter what, they have to fight for the club, the key is not me, it's about our overall progress. If one of them doesn't play all out for Manchester United, they don't have a chance to play. It's that simple."
"From the first day you came here, you knew the pressures you were facing. The past week has been tough for the players and the fans are unhappy, but it's just a game and now have to meet the next opponent, Atalanta. For me, there are so many things, so terrible things, that you have to look at yourself, be happy about where you are, and take responsibility for what you're doing. You need to enjoy the process."
"If we hadn't won, this interview might have been very different and the atmosphere in the dressing room would have been different, but that's football. As long as you win and everyone comes forward, you feel good. If you lose, you'll be frustrated, but you'll have to wake up the next morning and look forward to the next game. We need stability, we need to keep that level again and again, again and again."
Finally, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer also pointed out the unsung hero of United's big win, believing that McTomine may be the best in the game, and Varane who returned from the line of fire was also indispensable. "It's a solid play, we've gained experience together, Cristiano and Edinson are in charge and we have more control. I think McTomine should be the best player of the game and I think he played well. In my opinion, his state is unbeatable. But I think the whole team played well and Varane's comeback added defensive experience."