'He Lets Me Express Myself' - Martial Hails Solskjaer Influence At Man Utd

Anthony Martial hailed the positive impact Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has had on his game at Manchester United, praising the caretaker manager for allowing him to express himself.

United have won all six fixtures since Solskjaer replaced Jose Mourinho and have played with an attacking freedom that was rarely evident during the Portuguese's tenure.

Martial has scored once and made one assist since Solskjaer's arrival, netting in the 5-1 demolition of Cardiff City in the Norwegian's first game.

And he believes Solskjaer has had a big influence on him, telling Norway's TV2: "It is great for me to work with a manager who was attacking even when he was playing, just like me.

"He comes with good advice, especially suggestions for positioning in front of goal and the actual finishing. There he helped me a lot.

"The best advice I have received from him until now is that I have to play to my strengths. Don't put pressure on myself. He says I have to express myself on the pitch. It is very nice to be able to get such advice from Solskjaer."

Recalling Solskjaer's message to the players on a recent warm-weather training trip to Dubai, Martial added: "He talked a lot different when we were in Dubai. He told us about the tricks he picked up as a player and how lucky we are to be part of Manchester United.

"We all know that he was great when he was a player. So we listen when he tells us something."

As well as inspiring better performances from Martial, Solskjaer has brought better form out of Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford, who both combined for the goal in the 1-0 win over Tottenham on Sunday.

The 45-year-old has also invited his former United team-mate, Giuseppe Rossi, to train at Carrington while he looks for a new club, and Rossi also came out in support of Solskjaer's impact earlier this week.

Although he has not yet improved United's league position, the Norwegian has bridged an eight-point gap to fifth-placed Arsenal.

And with the Gunners taking on Chelsea this weekend, the Red Devils could deliver a blow to their rivals if they beat Brighton on Saturday.