Three matches that sealed Solskjaer’s fate

Manchester United have sacked manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer following Saturday’s 4-1 defeat at Watford. The club have won just one of their past seven Premier League matches and are seventh in the table, 12 points behind leaders Chelsea. Nigerians no longer buy newspapers, vendors cry out How illegal sand miners make fortunes in Sokoto communities […]

Manchester United have sacked manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer following Saturday’s 4-1 defeat at Watford.

The club have won just one of their past seven Premier League matches and are seventh in the table, 12 points behind leaders Chelsea.

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Solskjaer’s tactics and lineup selections have been called into question for over a month.

Manchester United have generally suffered from a lack of organisation and coordinated movements without the ball, and there are few clear collective ideas that show up in the attacking sequences, which have instead relied on moments of individual brilliance.

The elite competition of the UEFA Champions League has exposed those failings with his team losing half of the matches played in that competition during his tenure (7 of 14).

Despite a number of big signings this offseason, including Raphael Varane ($44 million paid to Real Madrid), Jadon Sancho ($93 million paid to Borussia Dortmund) and Cristiano Ronaldo ($16 million to Juventus), Manchester United have not played well this season, and even many of the wins haven’t been convincing.

The Red Devils have already been eliminated from the Carabao Cup (League Cup) and have needed to come from behind in their last three Champions League matches after opening the group stage with a shock loss to Swiss side Young Boys.

All these notwithstanding, the board has always expressed its desire to keep Solskjaer. However, three results in the last one month sealed his fate.

Here are the matches that finally sent Solskjaer packing:

Manchester United vs. Liverpool 5:0 (October 24)

Mohamed Salah scored a hat trick as the Reds thrashed their rival 5-0 at Old Trafford, handing Manchester United one of its worst defeats in recent memory.

Salah became the first opposing player to score a hat trick at Old Trafford in Premier League history.

The visitors scored all five goals by the 50th minute, but the result was marred by a 60th-minute red-card tackle from Manchester United’s Paul Pogba on Naby Keita, which resulted in the Liverpool player being stretchered off the field. Pogba was introduced at halftime and lasted just 15 minutes.

“The result is insane. I’ve asked already and no one can remember something like it and it’s going to take a while for it to happen again,” Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said postgame. “The boys put a nice piece in the history books … That’s really special, but it’s now not the moment for me where we celebrate like crazy out of respect for the opponent.”

Liverpool had two goals after just 13 minutes and they inflicted damage down the right side. The first goal was scored after just five minutes as Salah fed a wide-open Keita for a simple finish. Then eight minutes later, it was Keita feeding Trent Alexander-Arnold who served up a perfect cross for Diogo Jota’s sliding finish.

Salah went on to score the next three for Liverpool, putting home a cross by Keita in minute 33. Just before halftime, he got a second as Jota fed him in open space on the right. He netted his third right after the break, chipping goalkeeper David De Gea on a fantastic through ball from Jordan Henderson.

Manchester United vs Manchester City 0:2 (November 6)

Manchester United slipped to an Old Trafford derby defeat against City at Old Trafford as the Blues headed home with a 2-0 Premier League win on November 2.

The 186th Manchester dust-up was settled in the first half when Pep Guardiola’s side scored twice.

The Reds were hit by an early setback after just six minutes when Eric Bailly turned the ball past David De Gea for an own-goal opener for the Blues.

Seconds before half-time, United critically fell two behind when Bernardo Silva scored at the far post. United’s attacks were limited to fewer than a handful of chances as the visitors dominated.

Watford vs Manchester United 4:1 (November 20)

Manchester United fell to a disappointing Premier League defeat at Watford on Saturday afternoon, as the hosts scored twice in each half.

It was an afternoon to forget for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team as the Reds lost our first match following the international break.

The encounter at Vicarage Road got off to a manic start with David De Gea saving not one but two Ismaila Sarr penalties as the Senegalese’s first attempt had to be retaken. However, first-half goals from Joshua King and Ismaila Sarr ensured Claudio Ranieri’s side still went into the break two goals up.

Donny van de Beek joined Anthony Martial in coming off the bench at the start of the second half and the Dutchman restored hope for the Reds by scoring swiftly, in the 50th minute. A turnaround seemed possible but when Harry Maguire was sent off for collecting two yellow cards, it made United’s comeback task more difficult.

In stoppage time, Joao Pedro and Emmanuel Dennis put the game to bed as the Hornets ran out 4-1 winners under the floodlights.