Solskjaer future in doubt after Man Utd hold emergency board meeting

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s future as Manchester United manager is still undecided after an emergency meeting between club officials following the 4-1 defeat at Watford.

The United hierarchy discussed Solskjaer’s position on Saturday evening after a fifth defeat in seven Premier League games left Solskjaer’s side 12 points behind leaders Chelsea.

Solskjaer was booed by a number of the United fans in the away end at Vicarage Road as he approached them at full-time, although midfielder Bruno Fernandes appeared to try to redirect their frustration towards the players.

Asked what this result meant for his future, Solskjaer told Sky Sports: “I am working for and with the club. Of course we have good communication and if the club are thinking of doing something that is a conversation between us.”

The United board have so far ignored increasingly vociferous calls to relieve Solskjaer of his duties in the wake of a humiliating 5-0 loss to rivals Liverpool and a 2-0 derby defeat to Manchester City in early November.

Solskjaer, who has been in charge since December 2018, signed a three-year contract extension in July and it will cost United a reported £7.5m if they sack him.

“I always have belief in myself, but at the moment it’s a difficult time for us. I can trust every single one out there to give what they have, but the results are difficult,” he said.

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“I believe we can turn this round.

“I understand the fans, who have supported the club through thick and thin, and have been great over the last few years. It’s a difficult period, we have had a hard time since Sir Alex left, and the fans who have been here – since I came in – have been unbelievable.

“They understood the situation, the signings this summer raised expectations, rightly so, because we brought some top players in and having been second last year, we hoped to kick on.”

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher says he is sure Manchester United will be looking for a new manager soon, but called some of the players’ displays this season “scandalous”.

“It’s getting to the stage where it becomes untenable,” he said.

“We all know sooner or later that Manchester United will have a new manager, but when it gets to this stage now you actually look at Ole as an individual and human being and think it’s not good for him to be the Manchester United manager right now.

“I’ve not been a manager, but if you’ve got a crop of those players – and I don’t care what anyone tells me, Manchester United have got quality players – you can’t lose to Watford 4-1. You can’t.

“No matter how the manager has set you up, whether he has a presence in the dressing room, whether the players respect him or not, who knows? However he sets them up, those players…some of the performances they’ve given this season are an absolute disgrace. That is one of the most expensive squads in world football. One of the highest-paid squads in world football.

“And Watford are pretty awful, I’ve watched a lot of them this season, to lose there 4-1 is absolutely disgusting and disgraceful from some of those players. The manager will go, we know that, that story will move on pretty quickly.

“But some of those players’ performances this season have been absolutely scandalous.”

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