It’s the least surprising news of the weekend as Manchester United have finally confirmed that they have sacked Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
The Norwegian has finally fallen on his sword after an abject 90 minutes against Watford at Vicarage Road on Saturday.
The 4-1 mauling, coming hot on the heels of heavy defeats against Manchester City, Liverpool and Leicester City, was the final straw for a board who, apparently with a heavy heart, have had to take a decision with the club’s best interests in mind.
Michael Carrick will take over as caretaker manager until an interim appointment can be found, and Stretty News have all of the up-to-date news on the sorry saga.
“Manchester United announces that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has left his role as manager,” United’s official 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.”
What this means in the short term for United’s players is that there’s no longer any hiding place.
It’s all too convenient to blame everything on the manager, but, ultimately, it’s those on the pitch that need to pull out all the stops.
Carrick’s role may only be temporary, but it’s vital he gets a good result against Villarreal in the Champions League to lift the mood.