Official: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sacked as Manchester United manager

Manchester United have confirmed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has left the club.

The 4-1 defeat at Watford was the final straw. United’s board have finally decided enough is enough.

Solskjaer’s appointment was first thought to be on borrowed time after the 5-0 loss at home to Liverpool on Sunday.

Having survived that mauling, United rallied with a win over Tottenham before being totally outplayed in a dismal defeat at home to City.

Reports had emerged in October suggesting United’s players were losing faith in the manager’s methods, ESPN reported.

Solskjaer has been under pressure for the past several weeks after a disappointing start to the season.

Between the end of September and start of November, United gained just four points from six league games.

Solskjaer was coming towards the end of three full years in charge.

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He took over at United in December 2018 as interim boss, before being appointed full-time. He had just signed a new contract extension in the summer.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s Manchester United spell

Appointed in 2018 as interim boss
Solskjaer was hired until the end of the 2018/19 season in a surprise move as a stop-gap after Jose Mourinho was sacked.
Hired full-time in March 2019
After a superb Premier League run, Solskjaer defeated Paris Saint-Germain in a Champions League upset win after a 2-0 first leg defeat. The momentum saw United give Solskjaer the job full-time.
An up and down 2019/20
After a terrible end to the 2018/19 season, Solskjaer began the following season poorly and the decision to hand him the job looked like a possible error. Solskjaer then rallied his team and managed to finish in third place. Along the way United lost three semi-finals.
Second place in 2020/21
United built on third the previous year and managed to finish in second. The team even topped the table in January before sliding off. United reached another semi-final, and then reached the Europa League final, losing to Villarreal on penalties.
Unable to take the next step
Solskjaer was backed in the summer and got the players he wanted. After a terrific first game against Leeds, United’s performances stuttered, gradually getting worse. The defence leaked goals and the whole team seemed to take a backwards step. A 4-1 loss to Watford was the final humiliation.

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