“We've taken the flak and we deserved it" - Solskjaer admits Manchester United have been 'nowhere near good enough' ahead of Manchester City clash

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Manchester United were heavily scrutinized following their humiliating 5-0 defeat to Liverpool recently.

The Norwegian tactician has admitted that they deserved the criticism. He also urged his players to prove they've learned lessons from the setback when they face Manchester City this afternoon.

Solskjaer was quoted as saying:

"This will show if we have learned enough because we have moved on from it. We've taken the flak and we deserved it because it was nowhere near good enough on many levels."

He added:

"We've had a good week, with two good away results, and now we have to play another very good team. It's up to us to show what we've learned."

"There's no point in me talking about how much we've learned, we have to show it here. That's the game of football. There’s too many that talk a good game. We'll have to play a good game."

Manchester United are just three points below their local rivals in the Premier League table right now. A victory at Old Trafford this afternoon will bring them level on points with Pep Guardiola's men and possibly improve their position in the table.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has tipped his team to keep picking up points as they try to reignite their title chase. He said:

“It's an important game and, with a win, we still have the possibility to close up to the teams in front of us. So we've just got to keep on picking up points. The Tottenham game was miles better, but we need to improve in all aspects of the game."

The 48-year-old added:

"It's only the start of November, so we're not going to talk about the end position in the table, but every game in this league is massive and, if you can manage to get three points, it's a job well done."

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How have Manchester United fared since the Liverpool defeat?

Can Ole Gunnar Solskjaer inspire Manchester United to beat their neighbors this afternoon?

Manchester United have played just two games since they suffered a humiliating 5-0 defeat at the hands of Liverpool in the Premier League last month. The Red Devils produced a statement response as they crushed Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 in their following league game.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men then earned a 2-2 draw away from home in their Champions League clash with Atalanta on Tuesday. They'll be eager to make another strong statement by beating Manchester City this afternoon. It remains to be seen if they'll pick up all three points from the encounter.