Man United ‘call emergency board meeting to seal Solskjaer sacking tonight’
Manchester United's board will reportedly meet virtually to discuss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's pay-off on Saturday night – hours after the beleaguered boss endured a dismal 4-1 defeat at newly-promoted Watford.
Embattled Solskjaer appeared to apologetically wave goodbye to United's fans after the mauling, while playmaker Bruno Fernandes seemed to make a gesture indicating that the players were to blame for the battering.
Solskjaer insisted he believes he can turn United's fortunes around despite overseeing arguably the worst result of a dire run in which they have lost five of their last seven Premier League games.
That seems a distant prospect after the would-be title contenders were beaten by more than a goal for the fourth time in five league matches.
👋 Ole Gunnar Solskjaer apologises to the Manchester United fans at full-time as Man United suffer an embarrassing 4-1 defeat to Watford pic.twitter.com/Tlt5dKaqfi
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) November 20, 2021
🗣 "If the club are thinking about doing something, that's a conversation between us and not you and me."Ole Gunnar Solskjaer refuses to be drawn in to any questions about his future as the Man United manager pic.twitter.com/efxkhXm6QO
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) November 20, 2021
2-0 down at half-time at Vicarage Road, it was perhaps a sign of Solskjaer's desperation that he sent on outcast Donny van de Beek, who the coach has rarely turned to since the midfielder's arrival from Ajax more than a year ago.
The Netherlands international scored five minutes after the break, only for Watford to reply twice more in injury time, with United managing only three shots on target.
Huge-spending United's board are likely to have been alarmed by another defeat which leaves their side languishing in seventh in the table.
🗣 "Embarrassing first half, we could've conceded four goals in 45 minutes. It was hard to watch the team playing today, it was nightmare after nightmare. It's not acceptable."David de Gea is brutally honest when talking about Manchester United's performance pic.twitter.com/a9X52AawTu
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) November 20, 2021
🗣 "I feel for the fans, I feel with the fans, I feel the same as them."Ole Gunnar Solskjaer says he was embarrassed by the defeat and his message to the fans at the end was an apology pic.twitter.com/s5ZfONIrxN
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) November 20, 2021
United are closer to the relegation zone then they are to table-toppers Chelsea, who are a whopping 12 points clear of the Red Devils following their 3-0 win at Leicester earlier in the day.
In response, an emergency virtual board meeting has been called by United's top dogs for 7pm GMT, according to The Times.
Solskjaer's sacking is said to be such a formality that his exact severance will be the main item on the agenda.
🗣 "There's not one Watford player that could walk in to the Man United team, so how has that result happened? It can only happen through desire."Paul Merson says Manchester United's defeat to Watford is not acceptable pic.twitter.com/57Xql8ZjmH
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) November 20, 2021
First question in Solskjaer's post-match press conference is whether he still thinks he's the right man to lead Man United: "Yeah, I believe we can turn this around."
— Rob Dawson (@RobDawsonESPN) November 20, 2021
The report claims that club owners the Glazers will now make an increased offer to France legend Zinedine Zidane, who led Real Madrid to three Champions League titles before leaving the Spanish giants in May.
"I've never said I feel safe," Solskjaer responded after his side ensured no team above the bottom two has conceded more than the 21 goals they have shipped so far this season.
"I will never say that I feel safe. I work for the club and with the club as hard as I can, with a great staff, and any conversation between me and the club is not for me and you – it's between us."
