Solskjaer reveals what Man Utd board told him to do when he took interim job

The Norwegian has made a fine start to life in charge at Old Trafford but will he be given the role on a permanent basis in the summer?

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed the Manchester United board gave him the mandate to "play a certain way, get the mood back and get results" when he was given the job as interim manager.

The Norwegian took charge until the end of the season when he replaced the sacked Jose Mourinho in December, with United having won nine of the first 10 games they have played under Solskjaer.

The likes of Paul Pogba, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial have all returned to form after struggling earlier in the season, with the 45-year-old now having been tipped by many to take the job on a permanent basis.

And Solskjaer, who was crowned the Premier League Manager of the Month for January, admits he wants to keep his place in the United hot seat, adding that he has done everything that was asked of him by the board.

"It's not about making a case for me to stay," he told Sky Sports . "Of course Manchester United is the place to be, everyone wants to be here and would love it.

"But my job description was, until the summer, get us playing in a certain way, get the mood back, get results - of course, I love every single minute of it and I'll take whatever comes when it comes.

"It's not just about putting smiles on faces, but that is a big part of it. Making sure you come into training looking forward to the next day and enjoy what you're doing. That's what we're trying to do at the moment.

"It's tough being away from my family, of course, but it's a challenge every single day here because we play Fulham now, we need three points to get into the top four, then it's PSG, then Chelsea - it's just challenge after challenge. It's fantastic."

The closest United have come to losing since Solskjaer's arrival was against Burnley at the end of January, when they came back from 2-0 down to seal a draw.

Although it was a tense affair, Solskjaer believes the fightback proved that his side have character and determination.

"It felt like a defeat against Burnley," he said. "Four minutes before full-time we were 2-0 down. That is a great test of character. Do we really have the hunger and urgency to come back? They did, and the supporters did.

"The way the supporters reacted to that... that's Manchester United. The last-ditch, winning games at the end, winning points at the end, that was fantastic.

"We lost games when I played. We lost at home to Middlesbrough at home in the treble-winning season over the Christmas period. It's going to happen, it's just how you bounce back. And this club always bounces back."

Next up for United is a trip to Fulham as the Red Devils look to move above Chelsea in the Premier League table, with the Blues not in action until Sunday, when they face Manchester City.