Who has improved the most since Solskjaer took charge of Manchester United? Pogba, Marcus Rashford, Martial or Luke Shaw? Former Manchester United player Garth Brooks of the BBC believes that it is Lindlev. 'Manchester United injured four people in the first half against Liverpool, only three were replaced, and finally Liverpool drew 0-0 with them, or Manchester United felt pity, which was almost miraculous." He said, "I think Lindelev is rock solid, incredible. Without a doubt, he is the player who has improved the most at United this season."
So, Mourinho may be wrong. He wants to find a new defender at Manchester United, but the guy he needs seems to be there all the time.
Lindlev wears The Manchester United's No. 2 shirt, which is also the order in which he was included in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's starting list, and after De Gea, Lindlev.
At Manchester United, the Swedish Iceman had a rough time, but he was not honed from an early age, he helped his mother through the difficult days of being a single mother in Sweden, leaving home alone at the age of 17 to play for Benfica in Portugal.
So, when people say he's not enough to play for Manchester United, Lindlev isn't worried. United's 2-3 defeat to Brighton in August led commentators to mock Lindelhof and partner Bai, but it wasn't the bigger challenge the Sweden international had experienced.
Now, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in charge of Manchester United, Lindelof has become the backbone of the defence, with solskjaer leading the team in 13 starts in 15 games.
"When he came, I just wanted to show him what I was capable of, and maybe I've done it." Lindlev told the Daily Mail, "He chose me and now I've found the rhythm and I've been waiting for this moment." When you play badly and concede goals, defenders are criticised. Some people like you, some people don't, and that's never been a problem for me. I know people are talking about me, but I didn't let it affect me. No one would criticize myself more than I did. So people can speak their minds, which is good. It's good to change people's perceptions."
Now Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has led Manchester United to excellent results, with many mocking his predecessor Jose Mourinho. But Lindlev stressed: "Listen, I will always be grateful to José, he bought me, I will not say bad things about him." When he wants to buy a new defender, it's totally fine, I like to compete, without competition you don't improve. I was lucky. I am mentally strong enough to keep everything out. Of course you want everything to go well in your new club, but life is not as good as it should be. So if you don't play well, you have to work harder."
He is humbled by the fact that he was honoured by his outstanding performance at last summer's World Cup in Russia, who was elected Swedish Footballer of the Year 2018. Growing up, he wasn't even the best player in his circle of friends in the Swedish city of Vestras. Considered the strongest was Linus Sjöberg, a 15-year-old midfielder who was eventually given the opportunity to try out for Manchester United.
Now, almost a decade later, at the wedding of Lindelev and his wife, Maya Nelson, Sjöberg was the best man last year, and he suffered a devastating injury and had to hang out in the Swedish Second Division.
"He was Sweden's best genius of the year," Lindelhof sighed sadly, "we have been playing together since we were six, but he had three surgeries on his knees and two surgeries on his feet, and last week he was injured again." I introduced him to a physiotherapist. It makes me wake up every morning and be grateful for the opportunity to represent Manchester United. Knowing Linus' experience, I would never take everything for granted."
In Swedish football, the topic is naturally Ibrahimovic. When Lindluff joined Manchester United, Dae bong xian was still at Manchester United and recently he also expressed his opinion on the Iceman. "His days at Manchester United were tough at the beginning. Coming here, he shows the standard style of a Swede and is friendly to everyone. But I told him, 'You're here to survive, not to make friends.' So you need to perform. He's been doing well lately, and I don't think it's a question of ability, it's a matter of mind."
Listening to Ibrahimov, Lindlev looked a little confused. He smiled and said, "He did talk to me, but he didn't say it so clearly." But he always says golden sentences, doesn't he? Yes, I'm Swedish and nice people. There's nothing wrong with that, I like to respect people, that's what I was taught from childhood to adulthood. On the pitch, yeah, maybe I should have been more assertive in the beginning. But in the beginning because I was away from the pitch, I wanted to be quieter, see what the people around me were like, and then make a judgment. But Zlatan (Ibrahimovic) and I get along very well because we all have our own opinions. That's good."
Lindlev was born on the final day of the 1994 World Cup in the United States, and the Swedish national team finished third in the United States, which was a glorious year in the history of Swedish football. There was also an episode in which Lindelof's father asked immediately after the birth of his son if he could turn on the TV to watch the World Cup.
But the marriage of Lindelev's parents did not last long, with the Swedish Iceman and his mother Ulica living with brothers Sebastian, Alexander and 15-year-old Sakarias, whose right arm was tattooed with a portrait of his mother.
When Lindelof was a kid, he would run wild in the streets with his football, first pretending to be Zidane, then former Manchester United goalkeeper Batez... With dreams of competing in the World Cup final, he could have chosen a more talented ice hockey as a profession, but at the age of 14, he made his own choice and decided to concentrate on playing football.
He recalled: "I dreamed of being one of the top players and asked myself if I could get to the next level. At that age, I was better at ice hockey, so it was a tough decision, but football was my favorite sport. From that moment on, I decided I wanted to make it all a reality."
As a child, Lindelev was the No. 10 player and played well in free kicks. Right now...... Still, at least in training. He laughed and said: "There are long lines of free-kick players here at Manchester United. But in training, I play, and I can score! Maybe I'll have a chance in the game too."
"In my head, I'm still number 10. In training, I thought, 'Oh no, so much defense again!' But that's my job now, and that's good too."
When Lindlev was a kid, Benfica called him, which persuaded him to later transfer to the Red Hawks. He won two league titles in Portugal and played in the Champions League. But the beginning of his career, as after joining Manchester United, was difficult.
Lindelev spent the first 6 months in Benfica in a single room on the training ground. There was only a small, uncomfortable bed with a red duvet and a concrete balcony overlooking the pitch. The first night, he called his mom and just wanted to go home...
He recalls: "I couldn't communicate with my teammates and felt lonely. But I talked to my brother and he said it was something I've been doing almost all my life. He told me it would get better. I wake up every morning, eat breakfast, train, have lunch, and then go back to my room and watch a rerun of the American drama "Star Buddy" and chat with friends and family. Looking back now, I realize that this experience helped me learn to cope with what I was facing."
"It's important for young players to know that because you've signed a contract with a big club, it doesn't mean everything is going to be okay right away. You have to be prepared for tough times, and I think I did."
A feature of Lindelof's career was his low-open-top career, and he didn't play for Benfica until January 2016. He had been dormant until then, and then he soared, and when United paid him a record £31 million for a defender in all time, the Swedish Iceman played first-team football for less than 18 months.
So it's no surprise that his early performances since joining Manchester United have been mixed. In Sweden, he was known for his self-confidence. In conversation, he is not arrogant, but confident. Domestic media called him the "Iceman," with one commentator commenting that he felt as if he were "30 years old."
"I always believed in myself, believed in my dreams," Lindlev said, "and I never had Plan B." Plan A is to become a footballer and I put a lot of effort into that. I was raised by a single mother, so there are a lot of responsibilities to take on. Maybe that helps too. Our mom also gave us a lot of love, and I think that's why I have confidence in myself. I'm signing for Manchester United for a high price, so people want you to perform right away. They don't see anything else, the race is like that, but I know who I am and I'm happy with my ability. I came here through hard work, and that's just the beginning.
Lindlev may not doubt himself in the face of adversity, but not necessarily the rest of United's team-mates. Before Solskjaer took charge, they played on the pitch as if filled with fear and uselessness. Today, everything has changed.
"Yes, I see what you mean, maybe it was like that before." Lindlev nodded, "When the opponent comes to Old Trafford, we have to dominate the game. We are Manchester United and no one is stronger than us and we have to have that mentality. We've won a lot of games and we're in good shape now and we have to keep it up."
So, what did Solskjaer do and how did he change Manchester United? "It's hard to answer," Lindelof said, "maybe he brings dynamism and it's an inspiration to hear him talk about his thoughts on football." From the very beginning he walked in with a smile. He explained the significance of playing for Manchester United and that was the first thing he said. I couldn't find the most appropriate word in English, but he brought a sense of presence. Ole makes us think, makes us believe in our abilities again."
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