November 21, (THEWILL) – After Manchester United’s 4-1 defeat at Watford on Saturday, manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer announced his departure from the club.
Solskjaer, who took over as temporary manager from Jose Mourinho in December 2018, has overseen just one win in the club’s last seven Premier League games.
United’s awful recent run has featured a 5-0 hammering by Liverpool and a 2-0 defeat by rivals Manchester City, in addition to Saturday’s humiliating setback to Watford.
Michael Carrick, the first-team coach, has been tasked with taking temporary leadership ahead of Tuesday’s UEFA Champions League match against Villarreal “while the club looks to appoint an interim manager to the end of the season.”
A club statement read: “Ole will always be a legend at Manchester United and it is with regret that we have reached this difficult decision.
“While the past few weeks have been disappointing, they should not obscure all the work he has done over the past three years to rebuild the foundations for long-term success.
“Ole leaves with our sincerest thanks for his tireless efforts as manager and our very best wishes for the future.
“His place in the club’s history will always be secure, not just for his story as a player, but as a great man and a manager who gave us many great moments. He will forever be welcome back at Old Trafford as part of the Manchester United family.
“Michael Carrick will now take charge of the team for forthcoming games, while the club looks to appoint an interim manager to the end of the season.”
Following the defeat to Watford, United were expected to cut ways with Solskjaer, leaving the club 12 points behind leaders Chelsea with only 12 games played.
In July, the 48-year-old Norwegian was offered a new contract at Old Trafford until 2024, after being hired full-time in March 2019 on a three-year term.
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Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
