Ole Gunnar Solskjaer tells Manchester United to go all out on the attack against PSG

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has put the smile back on the face of Manchester United since he took over from Jose Mourinho. (AFP)
Updated 05 March 2019
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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer tells Manchester United to go all out on the attack against PSG

  • United 2-0 down to French champions after first leg at Old Trafford.
  • Interim boss Solskjaer would 'rather win 4-2 than simply try for a 2-0.'

LONDON: Manchester United will not sit back and hope for an edge-of-the-seat 2-0 win over Paris Saint-Germain, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has promised ahead of their must-win clash in the French capital tonight. 

United lost the first-leg at Old Trafford 2-0 three weeks ago to leave them staring at an early exit from the Champions League. They know a 2-0 win will take the tie into extra-time at the Parc des Princes, but rather than hope the attack does its job and the defence keeps a cleansheet, the interim coach said he wants his team to
attack from the start. 

“We can’t write games off, we’ve been fantastic away from home,” Solskjaer said. “We’re not going to go out without giving a fight.

“We’re going to go out there and enjoy the game. We know it’s a difficult place to come and they played really well at Old Trafford, so it’s a great challenge for our players to go out there and show what they can do.

“We would rather win 4-2 than try to get a 2-0. We’ve got to get to half-time better off than we are now. If you can get to 1-0 at half-time then anything can happen in the second half.”

Such has been Solskjaer’s effect on the side that it would take a fool or a PSG fan to rule out an improbable come-from-behind win for the England giants. The Norwegian has lifted the Reds into the top four of the Premier League and is hot favorite to get the job permanently. He has imbued his side with a “never say die” attitude, with Ashley Young convinced United can shock the French champions. 

“We know what we’re capable of,” Young said.

“Obviously it’s going to be tough. It’s not going to be easy. I’ve got every faith if we defend well and if we create chances,” he added.

 


Pakistan rejects claims it approached ICC for dialogue over India match boycott

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Pakistan rejects claims it approached ICC for dialogue over India match boycott

  • Indian journalist Vikrant Gupta says Pakistan approached ICC after it informed PCB of legal ramifications of boycotting India clash
  • Pakistan’s government has allowed national team to take part in ongoing World Cup but barred it from playing against India on Feb. 15

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) this week rejected an Indian journalist’s claim that it has approached the International Cricket Council (ICC) for a dialogue regarding Pakistan’s upcoming cricket fixture against India. 

Indian sports journalist Vikrant Gupta wrote on social media platform X on Saturday that the PCB has reached out to the ICC for dialogue over its decision to boycott the Feb. 15 T20 World Cup match against India. 

Gupta said the development took place after the ICC informed the PCB of the legal ramifications and potential sanctions the cricket governing body could impose if Pakistan boycotted its World Cup match against India. 

Gupta said the ICC was responding to the PCB, which had informed the global cricket governing body in writing that it was pulling out of the match as Pakistan’s government had not allowed the national team to play the Feb. 15 fixture. 

“I categorically reject the claim by Indian sports journalist Vikrant Gupta that PCB approached the ICC,” PCB spokesperson Amir Mir said in a statement on Saturday. 

“As usual, sections of Indian media are busy circulating fiction. A little patience and time will clearly show who actually went knocking and who didn’t.”

Pakistan’s government earlier this month cleared the team’s participation in the T20 World Cup but barred them from facing India in Colombo on Feb. 15.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif later said the decision was taken to express solidarity with Bangladesh, after it was replaced by the ICC in the ongoing tournament. 

ICC replaced Bangladesh with Scotland last month after the latter refused to play its World Cup matches in India due to security reasons. 

Pakistan has blamed India’s cricket board for influencing the ICC’s decisions. Defense Minister Khawaja Asif this week called for a the formation of a new cricket governing body, saying the ICC is now hostage to “India’s political interests.”

India generates the largest share of cricket’s commercial revenue and hence enjoys considerable influence over the sport. Critics argue that this financial contribution translates into decisive leverage within the ICC. 

A large part of that revenue comes from the Indian Premier League (IPL), the sport’s most lucrative T20 cricket competition, which is run by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Between 2024 and 2027, the IPL is projected to earn $1.15 billion, nearly 39 percent of the ICC’s total annual revenue, according to international media reports. 

The ICC is headed by Jay Shah, the son of Indian Home Minister Amit Shah. The ICC chair is expected to be independent from any cricket board and take impartial decisions.