Ole Gunnar Solskjær has denied Alexis Sánchez is past his best, saying that once the Chilean forward scores it will be like squeezing a “bottle of ketchup” and his best form will be released.
Sánchez has struggled since he joined Manchester United from Arsenal in January last year. He has scored only once in the league this season – in October – and once more in the FA Cup fourth-round win at Arsenal. He scored only three times for United in the second half of last season and his touch and confidence are a continuing problem.
Yet asked if the forward’s best days are behind him, Solskjær said: “He’s still a young boy. He’s a man of 30, but he can still play for many, many years. He’s been here for a year, I’ve been here for two months with him and he’s been injured for the first part of it so it’s unfair to just expect him to be at the top straight away. I’m sure we’ll see the best of him before the end of the season.
“He’s a very good player. He’s very talented, but of course, there’s only so many things you can sit down and talk about and tweak. You saw against Fulham [eight days ago] when he gets his chance – he is so sharp in and around the ball, he wins the ball, his energy … If he could just get that goal I’m sure that would release his confidence. That’s what it’s about when you go through periods when you don’t perform up to your standard because we know there is a very good player there. It’s one of those things.
“You know that bottle of ketchup that you squeeze when it never comes [out] – but when it suddenly comes there’s loads? I’m sure he’ll be fine.”
