Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1070939
29 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 13 JANUARY 2019 FOOTBALL SPORTS MANCHESTER United interim boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says Marcus Rashford can become a "top, top strik- er" like Tottenham's captain Harry Kane. The England team-mates will be on opposite sides at Wembley on Sun- day when Spurs look to end Solskjaer's winning start as Reds boss. United have won all five of Solskjaer's matches in charge at Old Trafford. "We can talk about Harry Kane and his class. Marcus has the potential to get up there also," said the Norwegian. Rashford, 21, still has some way to go if he is to match Kane, who is joint top- scorer in the Premier League having al- ready won the Golden Boot twice - but Solskjaer thinks he can make it. "He is very exciting to work with and can become a top, top striker. He's got frightening pace. He's become stronger and can hold the ball up for us," added the former United striker. Rashford has scored seven goals so far this season, placing him fourth on United's list of highest scorers, behind Romelu Lukaku, Anthony Martial and Paul Pogba. He has been used more often as a central striker since Solskjaer's arriv- al though, scoring three times in the 45-year-old's five matches in charge, compared to the four times he found the net in the previous 22 games under former boss Jose Mourinho. THE Reds have put themselves in a position to challenge for major honours this season as they remain determined to de- liver success. Sadio Mane ad- mits Liverpool are looking to achieve "something special" this season, with the Premier League title still up for grabs. A lengthy wait for top-flight supremacy has dragged into a 29th year for the Reds, while they are without major silver- ware since 2012. Jurgen Klopp has been charged with the task of bringing that barren spell to a close, and has suffered three painful final de- feats to date. Liverpool are, however, lead- ing the race for the Premier League crown this season – holding a four-point lead over reigning champions Manches- ter City – and are determined to deliver. Mane intends to play a leading role in that bid, with the Senega- lese forward telling Sky Sports: "Every single season we progress and that is positive for us. "That's why we train hard eve- ry single day, to learn a lot, to get better and better. "It's positive and now we are going to go for something spe- cial with the club." Klopp's side have endured a wobble at the start of 2019, with back-to-back defeats suffered. Their unbeaten record in the league was ended by City, while Wolves knocked them out of the FA Cup at the third-round stage. He added: "At the moment we are at the top of the league. "There is so far for this season to be done but everything is pos- sible. "We are going to try and take it game by game without making pressure for ourselves because we know it is very high. "We are very relaxed and we are going to try and keep on going until the end of the season. "We are confident because we are doing well, even though we lost to Manchester City. "In football it can happen, we're not the first and we won't be the last to lose a game, but we have to react. The reaction is more im- portant." Marcus Rashford can be as good as Harry Kane, says Ole Gunnar Solskjaer Mane looking for Liverpool to achieve 'something special'