Manchester United vs Watford: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says side almost in top-four 'driving seat'

Solskjaer came away with three points from his first game in charge of United as their new, permanent manager

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer believes that Manchester United are almost the masters of their top-four destiny but admitted his side could play better after an unconvincing win over Watford.

Solskjaer came away with three points from his first game in charge of United as their new, permanent manager thanks to goals either side of half time from Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial.

United were second-best for long spells against Watford, however, and had to hold on for all three points when Abdoulaye Doucouré scored a late consolation for the impressive visitors.

The win nevertheless saw Solskjaer’s side return to the top four and climb above Arsenal, who host Newcastle United on Monday night, and the Norwegian claimed after the final whistle that United are slowly taking control of their fate.

“There are four very good teams challenging for two places,” he said. “We are almost in the driving seat. We have given ourselves a good chance.”

United lost the final two games of Solskjaer’s caretaker spell in charge, away to Arsenal in the league and at Wolverhampton Wanderers in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup.

The first outing of his full-time tenure therefore felt like a new start, though Solskjaer admitted that United can and must improve on their underwhelming performance.

“We as a team felt it is a new start after the disappointment of Wolverhampton,” he said on Saturday. “It is almost the first game of the league. We came away with a win, that is great but I think everyone knows we can perform better.”

Solskjaer added: “The first 20 minutes, we started so slow and sloppy and you could see we have had players out with injuries and not been able to train them.

“It is one of them first games after the international break that you know could be a potential banana skin.”