Ole Gunnar Solskjaer: Manchester United 'Can't Play Tippy-Tappy Football'

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said his team are not ready to play "tippy-tappy" football following their win over Newcastle United in the Premier League on Thursday.

Anthony Martial was on the scoresheet twice, while Mason Greenwood and Marcus Rashford also netted for the Red Devils in a 4-1 win. United were forced to come from behind after Matty Longstaff's opening goal and moved up to seventh position in the table with the win.

After the game, Solskjaer was asked about the style his team played on the day and said they aren't ready to play a possession-based brand of football, per James Robson of the Evening Standard:

"I think it has been told [to the players] in quite certain terms what kind of team we are. They know what we expect. They know when we are at our best.

"We do have to make it hard to play against us. We can’t play tippy-tappy football. We can’t, at this moment in time, play like City. It is only City that can do that. We have to show more energy, drive, urgency and selflessness in every single game. That is the way we have to play at the moment."

Here are the highlights from the meeting at Old Trafford:

Samuel Luckhurst of the Manchester Evening News praised the mentality of the United players, who sought to put the result beyond doubt:

United's best performances this season have come in games against more expansive opponents. When there is space to break, the speed of players like Martial, Rashford and Daniel James can be devastating.

When Newcastle took the lead at Old Trafford on Boxing Day and sat deep thereafter, all the makings of a difficult evening were there for United. But they found a way to unpick the lock and get on the scoresheet.

Football writer Sam Pilger commented on the sky-high potential there is in the United attacking setup:

Bleacher Report's Rob Blanchette commented on the entertaining football the Red Devils played, although he noted there are still some issues that require resolving:

If United are going to become a team that challenges for top-four finishes and major prizes in the coming years, then they will need to be versatile when it comes to their style.

Solskjaer would have been encouraged by what he saw on Boxing Day, with his team showing the composure and technical quality needed to get back into the game. With Burnley to come in the Premier League on Saturday at Turf Moor, the manager will want to see more of the same from his side.