Man Utd must outwit fighter jet pilot who oversaw bomb military installations in Europa League clash as Bodo/Glimt plan to ruin Ruben Amorim's first home game

Bjorn Mannsverk, who works as a coach at Bodo/Glimt specialising in meditation, mental preparation and mindfulness, served in the Royal Norwegian Airforce and was part of a squadron that dropped bombs during the Libyan conflict in 2011. After leaving the Airforce, Mannsverk joined Bodo/Glimt in 2017 and since then has done wonders with the club, who have won three league titles and are one game away from adding a fourth trophy to their cabinet.

Mannsverk explained his early challenges at the Norwegian club and how he helped the players overcome their mental issues and converted them into a winning unit. Speaking to The Times, the coach said: "In 2017 they called it a mental collapse collectively in the club. They didn’t have any way of training that. There’s a lot of friction or resistance towards mental training because that’s associated with mental health.

"So they were very cautious. When I met the squad for the first time it was total silence. Then I understood they are not trained to talk together. I asked them, ‘How is the dialogue with the coaching team?’ There is no dialogue. It’s a monologue."

When asked about his strategy to motivate his players ahead of the clash against European giants United, Mannsverk replied: "If we do the same thing, it keeps the pressure down."

Mannsverk visited Afghanistan on two tours before being added to the unit that raided Libya during the conflict. The coach revealed that his experience during the conflict gave him clarity over the benefits of mental training. He continued: "It gave me an extra dimension in being prepared before going down there, reflecting on what is my motivation, what is the risk, what can I contribute? It was a big change from Afghanistan.

"We were based in Crete, staying in a hotel where people go on vacation. You fly your war mission and then you are in shorts and sunglasses eating ice cream by the pool and I was not prepared for that. I could deal with it because I recognised what it did to me."

He added: "My first mission was the first time I dropped bombs in a war. I felt I had a really strong feeling when the bombs left the aircraft. I felt joy and when they exploded in the target I was even more happy. And it surprised me.

"I took time when I was back in the hotel in the morning to reflect on it. I figured out the one thing I feared was to miss my target and kill innocent people. That was my biggest fear, and that I felt responsible for my bombs because, if I hit the wrong target, I could ruin the campaign, the political message."

After a disappointing draw against 18th-placed Ipswich Town in his debut game as manager, Ruben Amorim is all set to stand on the touchline at Old Trafford for the first time this Thursday as United take on a spirited Bodo/Glimt outfit in the Europa League.