Solskjaer names ex-Liverpool star as opposition player who caused him most problems as manager, explains lowest point at Manchester United
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has named Liverpool star Roberto Firmino as his toughest opposition player while he was the Manchester United manager. The Norwegian said that Firmino caused him the most problems, and the defeats to Liverpool hurt him more than the thrashing at Old Trafford by Tottenham Hotspur.
The former Manchester United manager told The Atheltic that the 5-0 loss to Liverpool at Old Trafford was one of his worst. He reckons that his decision to attack the Reds instead of attacking on the counter cost them the game:
"In my last season, we played Liverpool at home. I felt the players were ready for it, just like I'd felt they were ready when we'd gone to City and won.
"We could have sat back and countered, but my decision was to go for it. We lost 5-0. It was 50/50, more or less, in possession and chances at half-time, yet we were 4-0 down."
He went on to name Roberto Firmino as his biggest problem:
"I made the wrong decision, and that was my lowest point as United manager by a mile. Roberto Firmino was probably the opposition player who caused me the most problems as a manager. The 6-1 defeat at home to Spurs was different and affected by a sending-off."
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer faced Liverpool six times as Manchester United manager but did not manage a win. He ended up on the losing side four times and drew twice.
Liverpool's Roberto Firmino had goal disallowed against Manchester United
Manchester United players were charged by The FA for their reaction to Roberto Firmino's goal in a Premier League game.
The Liverpool star scored from inside the box, curling into the far corner, but goalkeeper David de Gea was livid with the referee not blowing for a foul on him by Liverpool's Virgil van Dijk.
The goal was eventually ruled out by VAR, but it left Roy Keane stunned in the Sky Sports studio. The Manchester United legend said that the goal should have stood:
"Why he's disallowed this goal is beyond me. I can't get my head around it. He's got his eye on the ball. De Gea's done this before. I think there's a softness to him. The game's gone mad."
Liverpool legend Graeme Souness added:
"Under no circumstances is that a foul. If you’re talking about VAR as some sort of magnificent computer that's perfect in every way, it's human error, and they don't know what they're doing. That's the bottom line. It's laughable. How much more honest could he be in his challenge?"
Despite the disallowed goal, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men could not get anything from the game as they lost 2-0.