Solskjaer admits he knew he was getting Man Utd sack midway through game

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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has opened up on his Manchester United exit (Image: Sky Sports)
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has opened up on his Manchester United exit (Image: Sky Sports)

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed that he knew his Manchester United tenure was over midway through his final match in charge against Watford.

The popular Norwegian, who is still revered at Old Trafford for his achievements as a player, took the reins on an interim basis from Jose Mourinho before earning a permanent contract. He was in charge for just shy of three years in total before he was sacked back in November 2021.

A 4-1 defeat at the hands of Watford proved terminal for Solskjaer, who had overseen a poor run prior to said match. But the Norwegian has conceded that he knew the game was up at half-time with United trailing 3-0.

Speaking to The National, Solskjaer lifted the lid on that fateful afternoon in Hertfordshire. “There were many lows,” he explained. “I’m one of them who looks back at the lows more than the highs. The end at Watford, well you can’t get lower than that. I more or less knew at half-time, so my team talk was about enjoying the last 45 minutes together and giving their all.

“Some of them had stopped running, caring. But then in the second half we played well. Donny [Van de Beek] came on and scored. We should have scored more. Then we got a sending off. 2-1 until the 94th minute. It sounds really bad that it was a 4-1 defeat. It was bad to lose against Watford but it wasn’t a 4-1 game.”

Marcel Sabitzer completes Man Utd transfer after last-minute deadline day dash qhiquqiqetiqkinvMarcel Sabitzer completes Man Utd transfer after last-minute deadline day dash

Solskjaer has kept a relatively low profile since his Old Trafford exit but has been linked with a return to the dugout recently. He was touted as a candidate to take charge of Bayern Munich on an interim basis last week before it was announced Thomas Tuchel would be leaving the German giants in the summer.

He admitted earlier this year that he was hungry for a return to football, affirming that he had no plans to completely walk away from management. Speaking at an event in New Dehli, he said: “I’ve got at least one club job in me. It has to be an interesting one, somewhere, an adventure, somewhere I can be myself.

Join the debate! Would you like to see Solskjaer back in the Premier League? Let us know here.

Solskjaer admits he knew he was getting Man Utd sack midway through gameSolskjaer was dismissed after a chastening 4-1 defeat against Watford in November 2021 (Getty Images)

“No disrespect but after you’ve managed Manchester United for three years it’s like where do you go? I want to feel that pressure again. When you see the games, you miss it.”

He continued: “You always want to manage against the best football people in the world. The Premier League is the best league in the world, the most difficult. I had been there for three years.

“Yes, it was a hard job. It’s an extraordinary job, but you’re the face of the biggest and best club in the world. You have to be ready all the time to be scrutinised. So, I enjoyed it but I needed a break after I stepped away.”

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Dan Marsh

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