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Manchester United's young forward trio challenged to become modern-day answer to Ronaldo, Rooney and Tevez

Manchester United's youthful attack of Marcus Rashford (right), Anthony Martial (left) and Mason Greenwood (centre) have 39 goals between them this season - AFP
Manchester United's youthful attack of Marcus Rashford (right), Anthony Martial (left) and Mason Greenwood (centre) have 39 goals between them this season - AFP

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has challenged Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Mason Greenwood to become Manchester United’s modern-day answer to Ronaldo, Rooney and Tevez as he dismissed Jurgen Klopp’s “defensive” jibes.

United’s youthful attack of Rashford, Martial and Greenwood have 39 goals between them this season, one more than Liverpool’s gilded attacking trio of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino.

And, while Solskjaer believes that the trio will need time to hone their understanding having started just one Premier League game together this season in the 4-1 win over Newcastle, when they plundered all of United’s goals, he is excited about what the future holds for them.

“We can see those three, we’ve got them on long contracts, and we can see them developing into a very exciting front three,” the United manager said ahead of Sunday’s trip to Anfield to face the Premier League leaders.

“I was here with Ronaldo, Tevez, Rooney, that’s what we want as United supporters and manager - you want to see them express themselves, go to Anfield and put fear into their defenders. We’ve got Dan James here as well who adds to that so I’m very excited about it.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney watch Ole Gunnar Solskjaer run in training - Credit: ap
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was a player at Manchester United at the same time as Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney Credit: ap

“The front three that they've [Liverpool] got have been playing together for ages, not ages but seasons now, and you can see the rotation, movements, understanding between them and we hope our front three will get that understanding in a while.

“I think I've only started them together once in the Premier League - the Newcastle game - so we've got a way to go to get to the level of the three [at Liverpool], the understanding and consistency Liverpool have had.

“But they scored four goals in that [Newcastle] game so it’s probably something I’ve got to look at more often. So I believe in ours. We’re going to add to them as well, definitely, but in years coming I’m sure we'll see lots of them.

“Liverpool have scored more goals than us, outside the front three, so I’m not going to say ours are better or theirs are better than ours. Sunday will be a game by itself.”

Klopp has been critical of United’s approach in games against Liverpool and said after the 1-1 draw at Old Trafford in October that it was “a fact” United “just defend” against his side. United remain the only team to take points off Liverpool in the Premier League this season and Solskjaer said he took Klopp’s remarks as a compliment - and insisted his side looked the more likely winners in both of their past two meetings.

“I don't think it's an accusation, I take it as a compliment that we've defended so well that they’ve not really created chances against us,” Solskjaer said.

“When the opposition manager is frustrated that's a good sign for you as manager - that our boys have done well. I think we've been closest to winning both those games so I don't know what the problem has been.

“We need a very, very good performance to go there and win but we beat [Manchester] City last month, we had the PSG game, we need to get to the level of those performances, definitely, when you go away to the team that’s top of the league.

“The last two performances against Liverpool, we’ve had them at Old Trafford twice and drawn and been close to winning both games. So we've got some games to look back at that will give us loads of belief that if we perform to our best we have a chance to win.”

Liverpool are on course to end their 30-year wait for the league title this season and Solskjaer said the Merseyside club’s barren run should be a reminder to United, who have gone seven years since last winning the championship.

“That's what we're working hard to make sure doesn't happen, and let that be a lesson for us that we can't let ourselves go another 24 years until we win the league and I’m sure we won’t,” he said. “I believe in this club, I believe that we are rebuilding now, we’ve started something that’s going to take a little bit of time, but we’ll get there.”

United are likely to be in for a hot reception at Anfield. Manchester City’s team bus was attacked before a Champions League tie at Anfield in 2018 but Solskjaer expects his players to cope with any intimidation.

“[We have] no safety fears, no, but of course they want to try to intimidate us, but as long as it's within the boundaries,” he said. “I've been sat in a coach or bus going to Europe or to Anfield and whatever they shout and scream you don’t really notice, that's just part and parcel of these games.

“I’ve had both wins and defeats there as a player at Anfield so you've got to look forward to these games. It’s a great challenge for our players to play against the leaders of the league, we've done well against them the last couple of times but away at Anfield is another matter. You can make sure you enjoy it but it can also be an intimidating place, but then we’ve got to do all the preparations as well as we can, some of these young players will be playing at Anfield probably for the first time. I’m sure they will be fine.”