Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hails ‘great achievement’ after Manchester United win ‘mini-tournament’ for top-four spot

Club secured Champions League football on the final day

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer hailed his team’s consistency and improvement after Manchester United clinched a top-four finish on the final day of the Premier League season.

A 2-0 win at Leicester City saw the Red Devils take third spot, just ahead of Chelsea, with the Foxes having to make do with fifth and the Europa League despite having been third when football resumed in June.

The United manager pointed to the team’s improvement since the restart and compared the frequency of games to a cup competition rather than the usual weekly league format.

“The boys have done a great achievement. Where we were earlier in the season, to end third is fantastic,” he told Sky Sports.

“We want to learn to win games like this that we need a result in.

“It’s been like a mini-tournament in the restart and it looks like it, we’re tired and leggy, not the same as we’ve been early on, but we’ve had to catch [up] so many points and so many goals – and we’ve done it.”

On the run of results that has seen United take a coveted Champions League spot, Solskjaer said it’s merely what is expected of the club.

The boss also suggested more improvements will be required next term and the rotation this season in the Europa League, where backups and youngsters have had their chance to shine, may not be as frequent.

“I think the boys are looking more like a United team, [playing] a United way. We could have sat back, rested and tried to draw but it’s not in our DNA, so we’ve just gone for it.

“[The Champions League] means better opposition and bigger games next year. We need to step it up definitely, because midweek you’ve got to go with your best team.

Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United celebrates (Getty Images) (Getty)

“This year we’ve rested players in the Europa League, given minutes to young payers, so it’s a stepping stone – you’ve got to get fitter and more robust.

To that end, the manager was asked about summer recruitments and whether United needed to spend, with Champions League money now to be incoming.

Solskjaer also acknowledged that the club hierarchy are aware of what he has requested in terms of improvements, but stopped short of suggesting what level of spending they’d be looking at.

“That’s the other side of the Champions League. The club know what I feel we need and we’ll try to pursue it.”