Ole is no longer at the wheel
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer‘s time as Manchester United manager is over, a statement from the club has confirmed.
The Norwegian has been dismissed after United’s 4-1 hammering against Watford on Saturday. The defeat at Vicarage Road left United with just one win in their last seven Premier League games.
The club published a statement reading the following: “Ole will always be a legend at Manchester United and it is with regret that we have reached this difficult decision. While the past few weeks have been disappointing, they should not obscure all the work he has done over the past three years to rebuild the foundations for long-term success.” You can read the full statement below.
Manchester United can confirm that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has left his role as Manager.
Thank you for everything, Ole ❤️#MUFC
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) November 21, 2021
First-team coach Michael Carrick is set to take charge on a temporary basis, with this first game being Villarreal in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Solskjaer was appointed United manager on an interim basis in December 2018 after the dismissal of Jose Mourinho. United’s form instantly improved under him, with the miraculous Champions League victory away to Paris Saint-Germain helping him get the job on a permanent basis.
Despite a raft of new signings, Solskjaer failed to oversee a genuine title challenge, and missed out on silverware when United lost the final of the Europa League to Villarreal on penalties last season.
The high profile signings of Raphael Varane, Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo were expected to help United close the ground on Premier League champions City, but their dismal start to the season already looks to have extinguished hopes of them ending their wait for league glory.
United will now focus on bringing in a new manager. As pressure has mounted on Solskjaer in recent weeks, the likes of Brendan Rodgers, Mauricio Pochettino and Ajax’s Erik Ten Hag have all been named as potential successors.
All three appear intent on finishing the season with their current employers, which may prompt United to appoint another manager on a temporary basis.
Antonio Conte was strongly linked with the job in the wake of the Liverpool defeat but was appointed new Tottenham manager after United beat them 3-0 in their next game. Zinedine Zidane has also been named as a possible candidate for the role but is reportedly keen to wait for the right offer before making his return to management.
Related links:
- Conte ‘waited until the last minute’ to join Spurs after waiting to see if Man Utd would sack Solskjaer
- Ole Gunnar Solskjaer claims he has ‘always enjoyed criticism’
- Ole Gunnar Solskjaer slams ‘unacceptable’ press lies about Paul Pogba
