Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says he told his Man United players he was going to be sacked at HALF-TIME of his final game, after he saw them ‘not running for each other’… only for the defeat to get worse

• Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked as Man United manager in November 2021 
• Solskjaer reflected on his final game and how he knew he would be sacked 
• Listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport’s podcast It’s All Kicking Off! 

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has reflected on the moment he knew he was going to be sacked as Manchester United manager in an interview with The Athletic.

The 50-year-old Norwegian is a legend at Old Trafford having enjoyed a glittering playing career at the club, which included scoring the winning goal in the 1999 Champions League final to help them win the Treble.

He returned to manage the Red Devils in December 2018, initially as caretaker boss  when he took over from Jose Mourinho, before he went onto spend almost three years in the role.

Solskjaer’s high watermark came in 2020-21 when he guided United to a second place finish, but results began to deteriorate at the beginning of the following campaign before he was sacked in November 2021 after a 4-1 defeat to struggling Watford – which was his side’s fifth loss in seven games.

And Solskjaer has revealed he knew the writing was on the wall during that fateful day at Vicarage Road and remarkably explained how he even informed his players mid-game that he expected to be dismissed.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has reflected on his sacking at Man United manager in November 2021

His final match was a dismal 4-1 loss to Watford, which was United’s fifth defeat in seven games

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‘Nobody told me (that I was going to lose my job), but I knew at half-time against Watford,’ he told The Athletic. 

‘We didn’t look like a Man United team; the players weren’t running for each other. At half-time, I told the players it was probably going to be the last time we worked together and to play with pride. We almost turned it around, until Harry Maguire got sent off.’

United did indeed almost mount a comeback as, after being 2-0 down at half-time, Donny Van de Beek pulled a goal back before Maguire picked up two yellow cards in seven second half minutes.

Cristiano Ronaldo then had a goal ruled out for offside, before Joao Pedro and Emmanuel Dennis netted injury time goals to condemn United and Solskjaer to their fate.

And the Norwegian also explained how the aftermath of the match played out, with United dispensing with his services the following day, while he revealed the pain he felt at leaving a club he had so much history with.

Solskjaer explained he told his players at half-time of the clash that he was going to be sacked

The Norwegian also reflected on the pain he felt at leaving a club he had so much history with

He added: ‘I got a text message the next morning from Ed Woodward saying he needed to see me in his office at Carrington. 

‘That was pretty hard when you’ve been at the club for 18 years with all those good and bad times.

‘I’d had lots of backing and good times with Ed. He’d given me the chance and for that, I’ll always be grateful.

‘It was an emotional day. Very emotional. I didn’t think it would be, but it was like leaving your family.’

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