"To finish second and third with the squad I had was an achievement" - Ex-Manchester United boss makes bold claim about his time at the club
Former Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer spoke about his achievements as a Red Devil manager while in charge at Old Trafford. The former Norwegian forward took over as interim boss in December 2018 after United sacked Jose Mourinho.
Almost three years later, Solskjaer was dealt the same blow when he was removed as United manager in November 2021. Solskjaer defender his reign at Old Trafford, recalling the highs of his time at United.
He said (via @centredevils on X)
"We were unbeaten away from home for 29 games. It’s not easy to do that. We went to places like Manchester City and beat them. We didn’t win the league but trust me, to finish second and third with the squad I had was an achievement.”
Solskjaer carried on (via Manchester Evening News):
“I didn’t win a trophy at United and I know that matters. I was a penalty kick away from winning one against Villarreal. But I fulfilled my initial remit at United. Got people smiling again. Got the team winning. Lay down the foundations for good performances against all teams. And I did that."
He won 91 of the 168 games he was in charge of at Manchester United.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer talks about the match after which he was sacked by Manchester United
Solskjaer's last match in charge was United's 4-1 defeat at Watford. Recalling the game, he said (via Manchester Evening News):
“There were many lows. 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."
He described how the match could have gone differently for United:
"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.”
Talking about the heaviness of the emotions that built up in the moments leading to his dismissal, the Red Devils legend said:
"It’s the loneliest place in the world, it’s horrible. You want to sit down. You’re 3-0 down but you’re a bit embarrassed but you have to stand up and never give up. You have to stand up and show that this is your team, you’ve picked the team. And I’ve never shied from that responsibility.”
Solskjaer was replaced by interim boss Ralf Rangnick for the rest of the 2021-22 season with new manager Erik ten Hag taking over in the summer of 2022.