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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer must be bold like his Manchester United players against Huddersfield on Boxing Day

  • Caretaker manager should resist urge to make changes for first home game
  • Man United squad players must earn their second chances

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Manchester United caretaker manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer celebrates after the win against Cardiff. Photo: Reuters
Nicolas Atkin

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has told his Manchester United players to relish playing at Old Trafford – but the caretaker manager’s selection against Huddersfield on Saturday will tell us if he intends to do the same.

In April 2014, Solskjaer’s former teammate Ryan Giggs made a fatal mistake when in a similar position – one that the Norwegian must avoid after the thumping 5-1 win at Cardiff last weekend in his own first match in charge.

Giggs took charge for the final four games of the season after Alex Ferguson’s successor David Moyes was sacked nine months into a six-year contract. After a 4-0 win against Norwich, the Welshman rung the changes for a home game against Sunderland.

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“We prepared right,” Giggs later said after a 1-0 loss. “I picked a team I thought could win the game and I trusted the players. But some of the players let me down and let themselves down. Maybe I was a little bit too soft.”

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Paul Pogba and Ashley Young celebrate after Jesse Lingard scores Manchester United’s fifth goal at Cardiff. Photo: AFP
Paul Pogba and Ashley Young celebrate after Jesse Lingard scores Manchester United’s fifth goal at Cardiff. Photo: AFP
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