Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has declared that it is 'not the time to talk about making wholesale changes' to the squad, despite a disastrous run of form that has seen the team lose six of their last eight games, culminating in a 4-0 thrashing by Everton.
While Paul Pogba walked straight off the pitch after the defeat, Solskjaer applauded fans in the Goodison Park away end and further apologised after the game. He then appeared to warn players that those who do not work hard enough will not be at the club.
"I want my team to be the hardest working team in the league, that is what we were under Sir Alex [Ferguson] - [Ryan] Giggs, Becks [David Beckham], Gary Neville, Denis [Irwin] - no matter how much talent you have got, you run more than anyone," he said at the time.
"You can't change your whole squad. One step at a time. I am going to be successful here and there are players who won't be part of that."
Now, as United prepare to face Manchester City on Wednesday night, Solskjaer appears to have slightly pulled himself back from the stark warning of just two days earlier, insisting that 'many' of the current squad do have what he calls 'United DNA' and seemingly won't be leaving.
"You learn about players. Now is not the time to talk about making wholesale changes. You can see the Man Utd DNA in many of these players. We have to get players in and some players will have to go out," the Norwegian is quoted as saying by BBC Sport.
United had won 14 of Solskjaer's first 17 games in charge after a near miraculous run from December to March. Since being appointed permanent manager on 28 March the current run of form has already prompted questions over whether he is right for the job.
"I would say yes, but it's not down to me to say that," he replied.
"Of course, I'm confident in my team and myself, and that I'll be ready to take this challenge on. I know it's a big challenge, that why when I came in I said 'I'm going to enjoy this'. I don't like losing, but it's a great challenge and it's a challenge that all the managers at this club have had.
"When you go through bad results, you've got to still be confident enough to say, 'this is the way we're going to do it', and we're planning ahead.
"I like all these boys. I love them because they're great lads," he continued.
"But I've got to make a decision, I've got to manage for the club. I'm managing the club, I'm managing the players. I help the players, but I'm managing for the club and I'm going to put all my effort into doing what I think is right for the club."
