Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, sacked as Manchester United manager on Sunday, has said he was proud of his reign and he has left the club in a better state than when he took over from Jose Mourinho nearly three years ago.
Solskjaer was dismissed after Sunday’s 4-1 defeat at Watford left the team seventh with one win from their last seven matches.
“I’m going to leave by the front door, because I think everyone knows I’ve given everything for this club. 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,” he told the club’s MUTV channel.
Our farewell interview with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer ❤#MUFC
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) November 21, 2021
“I think, or I know I leave this club with a better squad. The environment is fantastic, it’s an environment I’m proud of leaving because you have to enjoy coming in here working,” he said.
Solskjaer, who won six Premier League titles as a player and scored the stoppage-time winning goal in the 1999 Champions League final against Bayern Munich, said he had been honoured to have been the club’s manager.
“Very, very proud. Of course, it’s one of those things you dream of in your life. When you’ve been a player, when you’ve been a reserve team coach, the next job then, the only dream and the only thing you haven’t done is to manage the club, and I have now.
“It’s been a ball, it’s been absolutely enjoyable from the first to the last minute, so I have to thank all the players because since I came in, they’re top lads, top people,” he said.
Michael Carrick, another former player who has been part of Solskjaer’s coaching staff will take charge of the side at Villarreal in the Champions League on Wednesday (AEDT) while the club search for an interim coach to manage the team to the end of the season.
A win would secure a place in the knockout stage for United and Solskjaer backed them to achieve that goal.
“As I’ve said to (the players) this morning as well, trust yourselves, you know we’re better than this. We’ve not been able to show it but go out, chest out, enjoy being a Man United player, Champions League, the biggest stage.
“If and when you win the game, you’re through to the next round, Michael is going to be in charge. Michael, I have the utmost respect (for), I love Michael to bits. I’m becoming emotional now because he’s top, they’ll be fine. I’ll watch them and support them,” he said.
Solskjaer said he intended to spend some time with his family in Norway before any eventual return to the game and said he would follow the team as a fan.
“I’ll watch the team of course and hopefully, the next manager comes in and I want to support him. I want him to be successful, hopefully I’ve laid the foundations for that to happen because I know I’m good at what I’m doing.
“I’m a 100% sure to create a football environment, that’s where I’m good at and at some point, I’ll probably be back (working in football),” he said.
Former Manchester United players reacted to the club’s decision with sympathy for the Norwegian and criticism for the hierarchy and players.
WAYNE ROONEY, DERBY COUNTY MANAGER AND FORMER UNITED STRIKER
“As a manager, you can set a team up and work on shape and how you want the team to play, but there’s no excuse for some of those performances from some players.
“To see players waving their arms around and giving the ball away but blaming other people was not acceptable.
“I would be very angry if I saw that from my players. Those players are at one of, if not the biggest, club in the world and should feel privileged to be there.
“In my opinion, the players have to show more – that doesn’t necessarily mean winning the Premier League or the Champions League, but showing the fans that they are working hard for the club.”
GARY NEVILLE, TELEVISION PUNDIT AND FORMER UNITED DEFENDER
“Thank you Ole. You did us proud. The last two months were tough but before that you restored some soul into the club.”
On the club’s failings, Neville said: “They’re scrambling, they’re reacting. It’s three times they’ve given a manager a long contract or extension and sacked them within a few months. The planning is poor.
“I do think Ole was the right appointment in terms of taking over from Jose Mourinho, the club was spiralling into a pretty woeful place.”
PETER SCHMEICHEL, FORMER UNITED GOALKEEPER
“It’s really sad, I am seriously really sad. On Ole’s behalf, on the football club’s behalf, on all the fans’ behalf. It’s too many managers we’ve had to dismiss in too short a period of time.
“We’ve been used to 27 years for one man (Alex Ferguson) to be in the hot seat and I just feel for Ole. He’s done everything he could, but in this modern day football it’s been deemed not to be enough.”
ANDY COLE, FORMER UNITED FORWARD
“All the best my friend. Whatever people say you will always be a Manchester United legend. You have put your heart and soul into bringing the glory days back to Old Trafford.”
MICHAEL OWEN, FORMER LIVERPOOL AND UNITED FORWARD
“There were bigger managerial names than him that tried and failed in recent seasons and he leaves the club with the most talented collection of players it’s had in a while. It’s the next manager’s job to get the best out of them.”
“It has to be the worst possible time for Manchester United to be looking for a new manager. Early in the season with hardly any top managers available.
“The only obvious one available is (Zinedine) Zidane but the language barrier is surely a huge issue. An interim manager looks likely – again.”
LOUIS SAHA, FORMER UNITED STRIKER
“The way you judge such a big club is by winning trophies – but the spirit has to be there. With previous managers, I’ve switched the TV off because it’s been so frustrating. With Solskjaer, you felt like something was there.
“It’s a strong foundation now for any manager to come. It’s a sad step for Solskjaer, but it could be a good step for the club. There is now only a little per cent missing to get the consistent wins.
“This is a difficult moment, but it could be the shock that this club needs.”
MANAGERS IN THE SIGHTS OF PREMIER LEAGUE CLUB MANCHESTER UNITED
ZINEDINE ZIDANE (unattached)
The current bookmakers’ favourite to succeed Solskjaer, the 49-year-old has been out of work since leaving Real Madrid earlier this year. The France great managed the Bernabeu giants’ reserve team before taking control of the senior side in 2016, winning a LaLiga crown and three successive Champions League titles. Zidane left in 2018 but returned 10 months later, leading the side to another league title before departing again in May.
BRENDAN RODGERS (Leicester)
The highly rated Northern Irishman has done an impressive job at Leicester, with last season’s FA Cup triumph complementing back-to-back fifth-placed league finishes, although the Foxes are struggling in comparison this term. Rodgers certainly knows what it takes to manage big clubs, having been agonisingly close to leading Liverpool to the Premier League in 2014 before joining Celtic. He won seven domestic trophies during his two-and-a-half-season stint in Scotland.
MAURICIO POCHETTINO (Paris St Germain)
Long admired by the Old Trafford hierarchy, PA understands he was interested in the job at several points during Solskjaer’s reign. Pochettino was on the market after being sacked by Tottenham, who he left months after taking them to the 2019 Champions League final until joining former club Paris St Germain at the start of 2021. There have been bumps in the road for the former Southampton boss in France but prising him away from Lionel Messi, Neymar and Kylian Mbappe might be tough.
ERIK TEN HAG (Ajax)
The Ajax boss is a fine coach with the lowest profile of the contenders listed here. Ten Hag managed Go Ahead Eagles, Bayern Munich II and Utrecht before heading to Amsterdam in 2017, leading the Dutch giants to the Champions League semi-finals in 2019 when they agonisingly lost to Pochettino’s Spurs. The 51-year-old has won two Eredivisie titles during his time at Ajax, as well as a pair of KNVB Cups and the Johan Cruyff Shield.
MICHAEL CARRICK (Manchester United)
Carrick has been named interim manager until the end of the 2021-22 season. Solskjaer had started his tenure at Old Trafford in a similar role when named caretaker boss in December 2018 after Jose Mourinho’s sacking and went on to win 10 of his first 11 games before being named full-time boss in March. Carrick will hope he can turn things around in similar style to stake his own claim for the role on a full-time basis. He has been part of the coaching set up at United, originally under Mourinho, since retiring as a player in 2018 after a 12-year career at Old Trafford.
© AAP
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