Manchester United Fires Manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

(Bloomberg) -- Manchester United Plc has parted ways with manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer after a string of poor results that culminated in Saturday’s 4-1 defeat to Watford. 

Former midfielder Michael Carrick, who’s part of the coaching staff, will take charge of the team while the club searches for an interim manager for the remainder of the season, the club said in a statement on Sunday.

Manchester United, which has won a record 20 English top-flight titles, lost five of its final seven matches under Solskjaer. A former Norwegian international who played for the club as a striker under Sir Alex Ferguson, Solskjaer returned as manager in 2018 following the departure of Jose Mourinho but failed to win any trophies during his tenure.

“Ole will always be a legend at Manchester United and it is with regret that we have reached this difficult decision,” the club said in the statement. “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.”

Manchester United currently lies seventh in the English Premier League, putting the club at risk of missing out on qualification for lucrative European competitions next season.

Manchester United’s owners have been grappling with the backlash from the club’s participation in the failed move by some of Europe’s biggest soccer teams to form a breakaway Super League. The club, which is owned by the Glazer family, has agreed with a supporters group to start a program offering a new class of shares, as well as a new advisory board. 

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