Solskjaer needs patience in Utd

Ed Woodward has backed Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for restoring success to Old Trafford, and called for "patience" after a disappointing start to the season.

United are eighth in the Premier League standings after losing 10 of their last 19 games in all competitions since last season.

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The final setback was the 2-0 defeat at West Ham on Sunday, but Woodward, while United announced its latest financial results, backed the Norwegian, who signed a three-year contract in March.

"We, and our growing global fan base, are asking for success," Woodward said. "Success means winning trophies.

"This goal and this standard have never changed for Manchester United." The progress we have made in the business world underpin the ongoing investment in football. " Much of the progress made around this investment, in the academy, the recruiting department and the training facilities are behind the scenes and are therefore not immediately visible to outsiders who look.

"In recent years, we have expanded our recruiting service to increase efficiency and productivity, and many of these positions have been with the club for over 10 years." Recruitment recommendations and decisions are made by this service, the manager and his team.

"These investments, combined with the commitment we made to Ole and his coaching staff in March, made it a success, and although we know this investment will produce results, it is important that we be patient while Ole and his team the future.

"We will continue to focus on the long-term strategy and we will not be influenced by short-term distractions."

Solskjaer has been criticized for managing the summer transfer window, which saw Ander Herrera, Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez leave without any substitute reinforcing the offensive or midfield department.

Woodward, however, defended the recruitment policy while highlighting the emergence of young players like 17-year-old Mason Greenwood as the advantage of working with a smaller team.

"We were able to approach the window in a targeted and disciplined way," Woodward said. "Dan James, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire joined a strong team that also saw renewed contracts being executed on a number of key players including Marcus Rashford, David de Gea and Victor Lindelof.