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PERTH // One of England's big footballing rivalries resumes in Western Australia on Wednesday as Manchester United and Leeds United meet in front of a planned crowd of 55,000 spectators at Perth's Optus stadium. The teams have not played in the Premier League since the relegation of Leeds in 2004 and have not played any Cup since 2011. Leeds was almost promoted in May, but missed the manager Marcelo Bielsa.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the Manchester United coach, has the opportunity to see how players are progressing. The Norwegian wants to add to his team, but does not know if others will stay.
Before the friendly, the second of the five preparatory games of United, Solskjaer could at least remember the meetings between the giants of Lancashire and Yorkshire.
When asked by The National Solskjaer said about his favorite memories against Leeds, stating, "The 4: 3 victory when I scored two goals at Elland Road," he said about United's victory in March 2002. "And see David Beckham and Ian Harte have never run for a 50-yard Paul Scholes ball. We had some excellent games against them. They had a fantastic team in the late '90s with one of my friends, Eirik Bakke, and there were some ferocious tackles in those games. "
Rivalry has been relegated to the background, said Solskjaer. "The more you play against each other, the stronger the rivalry. You want to play against the biggest clubs and if we find Leeds in the Premier League, I'm sure you can see the size of the match. This is a great opportunity for the players and the fans and there have been fantastic games. "
Solskjaer and his team have a colossal job trying to narrow the gap between the Manchester City champions and the finalists, Liverpool. United finished sixth last season, but Solskjaer has the feeling of progressing.
"When you train and manage a team, little things can make a big difference," he said. "We are working on fitness, new tactics and ideas. We want players to be ready, involved and create a team. We want a team spirit as a base. We had two weeks during which everyone had trained and everyone was fit. When we start the league, we want everyone to be ready to play. We hope to continue with intensity, aggressiveness and energy. I've been encouraged by all the pre-season. "
Some certainty would help amid rumors that players may be leaving Old Trafford.
"The day we start the league, I'm sure everyone here will give everything for Manchester United," he said. "We want a strong team with players who give everything. There are always rumors and speculations about United's players, but when the league starts, we'll close the hatches and stay in a team. "
Goalkeeper Dean Henderson, defender Matteo Darmian and midfielder Fred are expected to join the rest of the squad in Singapore before the match against Inter Milan on July 20.
Central defender Axel Tuanzebe, 22, is one of the players wanting to be part of the manager's plans for the new season.
"He has a great chance to stay here and play," said Solskjaer. "He had a good season last year, a season with partial stops, but he really proved he could play at that level and he came back strong and focused. He performed well in the first game here and is one of the most exciting players I can not wait to see. "
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Manchester United defeat Perth Glory 2-0
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Solskjaer added: "Dan can play anywhere on the front line. He is more left and right but he can also play in the center. It's about finding a relationship that works. Sometimes you want a right-back to join the attack and maybe you do not want a winger who marries the sideline. We will have to find a balance between width and intermediate players. "
Goalkeeper David de Gea will play Leeds. United hopes that the Spaniard will sign an extension of the agreement that will expire next June. "I hope we can agree [a new contract] with David, "said Solskjaer amid speculation that an agreement would be reached.
That would be good news for Manchester United fans worried about the upcoming season.
Last Updated: July 16, 2019 10:31
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