Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been sacked as Manchester United manager after an embarrassing 4-1 defeat at Watford. United have confirmed Solskjaer’s assistant Michael Carrick will now take charge of the team for forthcoming games. The club also revealed its intention to appoint an interim manager to the end of the season.
“Manchester United announces that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has left his role as Manage. 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,” the club said in a statement.
‘It was time to step aside’
Despite the announcements of Ronaldo, Raphaël Varane, and Jadon Sancho, the team seems to still struggle to win games. Expectations were high, but United have lost five of their last seven league games. Solskjaer hasn’t won a major title for the club since he became the club’s coach in 2018. The best performance under his coaching stint so far came in the 2020-21 Europe League, where he lead the club to the final but eventually lost to Villarreal via penalty shootout.
“This club means everything to me and together we’re a good match, but unfortunately, I couldn’t get the results we needed and it’s time for me to step aside. You know what this club means to me and what I wanted to achieve here. For the club, for the fans, for the players, for the staff. I wanted us to take the next step to challenge for the league, to win trophies.” Solskjaer said in an interview with United’s in-house media.
“I want to thank the board and the owners for giving me the opportunity. Because it’s not for everyone and I’ve had the opportunity. I’m so honored and privileged to have been trusted to take the club forward. And I really hope that I leave it in a better state than when I came,” he added
Michael Carrick, another former United player who assisted Solskjaer for the last three years, was appointed as acting interim manager for the next 48-hours. An external interim manager will then be appointed until the end of the season. Carrick was an underrated midfielder during his playing days, who is a cool-headed individual and remains calm under pressure.