Manchester United coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer responds to Mauricio Pochettino top four comments
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frontrunner to become United's next permanent manager, fielded a weakened team for their 2-0 fourth round defeat at Crystal Palace and claimed afterwards securing trophies 'only builds your ego' before suggesting 'the most important thing is being consistently in the top four and playing in the Champions League'.
Spurs have not added to their honours' board since the 2008 League Cup win at Wembley and their only realistic hope of success this term is in the Champions League, whereas United have an FA Cup fifth round draw to look forward to in a competition Spurs, Arsenal and Liverpool have exited.
United were 11 points adrift of fourth place upon Solskjaer's caretaker appointment on December 19 but could move level on points with Chelsea in fourth if they beat Burnley on Tuesday night.
Solskjaer lifted six Premier League titles, two FA Cups, the Champions League and the Club World Cup during a garlanded 11-year Old Trafford career. Amid many United fans' reservations over Pochettino's potless record, Solskjaer - who guided Molde to their first Norwegian title in 2011 - clarified winning counts more than the taking part.
"That’s not the dream though - to be top four," Solskjaer stressed. "We’re Man United, you should always aim to win the league. We can’t do that this year but we’ve just got to look forward to that again because we have to get back to that.
"We’ve got the Champions League, we’ve got the FA Cup, we can’t just say top four and that’s it. We’ve got to look at, 'Can we win something this year?’ And as I’ve said, I go into every single game as a Man United manager thinking we can win this game.
"If you win trophies that’s a fantastic day for everyone in the club, it’s just the best time of your life, that day when you win. Because you never know when the next one is going to come.
"The manager (Sir Alex Ferguson) always said, 'Enjoy this. Whatever trophy you win, you have just got to enjoy it'. But, then again, it’s not up to me to discuss whatever anyone else says, I am just saying that we here at this club, we are looking to win trophies.
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