Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would 'love' to manage Manchester United permanently but no talks yet

Solskjaer will be in place until the end of the season following Jose Mourinho's dismissal earlier this week

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has admitted he would ‘love’ to be the manager of Manchester United on a permanent basis having taken caretaker charge of the club.

Solskjaer will be in place until the end of the season following Jose Mourinho’s dismissal earlier this week.

On Friday, at his first press conference since taking on the role, Solskjaer admitted he is one of many managers around the world who would love to manage United.

However, he claimed that he and his new employers have not spoken about staying beyond the six-month caretaker spell yet.

“It’s until the summer now, five or six months to just help out in the meantime while the club does the process to get the next manager,” he said.

“When you get a job like this and they ask you to sign for six months you say yes. I’m happy to help out and my job is to do as well as I can.

“They understand there are so many managers who would love to be manager of Manchester United, I’m one of them.

“But it’s not something we’ve talked about, they’ll do a process for the next six months.”

Solskjaer revealed that he will have an ‘input’ in United’s January business, though he feels his main responsibility is to develop the players already at the club.

“I will have an input but the job is to get to know the players, observe them,” Solskjaer said.

“I’ve seen more or less every game from Norway but [my job is] to get to know the players, what do I think I can improve them on and the club have got the recruitment and scouting. They’ve got their targets but I’ve not sat down and talked about that.”

Solskjaer scored 91 goals in 235 appearances for United under Sir Alex Ferguson from 1996 to 2006, famously securing a stoppage-time victory in the 1999 Champions League final.

Ahead of his first game in charge, which sees him travel to former club Cardiff City, Solskjaer revealed he has already sought advice from his old manager.

“He’s influenced me with everything to be fair,” Solskjaer said on Ferguson. ”The way he’s dealt with people, the way he was a manager of the club, how he kept 25 international players happy and hungry wanting to improve, but also the staff in and around the place.

“He’s been my mentor but I didn’t understand early on he’d be my mentor. Towards the last, maybe the injury in 2003, I was making all the notes what he did in certain situations and I’ve already been in touch with him, there’s no one to get better advice from.”

Solskjaer is an attack-minded coach and hopes to instill his principles in United’s current playing squad quickly.

“It’s about getting very player to the best, speaking to them, training ground, philosophy, principles, how we want to play,” he said.

“It’s not matter what team you’re coaching they all want to have a picture of how you want to play. They are quality players so it will be easier to get players expressing themselves.

“You play with courage, go out there and express your skills. [Ferguson] said go out and express, take risks. The last game he had as a manager 5-5, that was almost the perfect end to him as a manager and I want the players to be similar.

“Be the kids that love to play football and go out in front of the best fans in the world.”