LONDON (DPA) - Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer feels some of his players need a "reality check" after a poor run of form. United have lost five of their last seven in all competitions, punctuated by a 3-0 defeat at Barcelona on Tuesday that knocked them out of the Champions League quarter-finals.

Prior to that, they won 14 of 17 games after Solskjaer took charge to climb back into the race for the Premier League's top four and Champions League qualification.

"I've learnt a lot about them over the months I've been here," Solskjaer, who replaced Jose Mourinho in December, told a news conference on Friday (April 19).

"Most of them have really impressed me in their attitude.

"Of course there are some who need to get a reality check on where they're at.

"But most of them know they can improve if they keep working as they do."

United are currently sixth in the league, two points behind Arsenal, with five games remaining.

Their fate could well be decided over the next nine days with Sunday's visit to Everton followed by home games against defending champions Manchester City and fifth-placed Chelsea.

"We know we have to be realistic here and we know we have a job to be done," Solskjaer said. "These three games coming up, they're our short-term focus.

"We shouldn't think about anything but having a great week ahead of us."