Woodward urges patience with Solskjaer at Man United

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester United executive vice chairman Ed Woodward has urged patience with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after the team’s underwhelming start to the season.

Long fixated with making marquee signings, United changed its approach this offseason for Solskjaer’s first full season in charge and focused instead on bringing in young British players. It led to the arrival of 21-year-olds Daniel James and Aaron Wan-Bissaka, along with England defender Harry Maguire for 80 million pound ($97 million).

United has won just two of its first six games in the Premier League to fall 10 points behind first-place Liverpool already, while its depleted attacking resources — following the departures of Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez to Inter Milan — have been stretched by injuries to Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford.

On an earnings call with club investors, Woodward says “it is important we are patient while Ole and his team build to the future” and that “returning to the roots of our club’s ethos — of youth-led attacking football — is the right way forward.”

United, which announced record revenues of 627.1 million pounds ($783 million) for the last financial year, won the last of its 20 top-flight league titles in 2013 — the final season before Alex Ferguson retired.