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Finally, Solskjaer speaks on resignation after Manchester United’s humiliation
The Red Devils’ fans were left heart broken on Sunday after United suffered an embarrassing defeat in the hands of their arch rivals Liverpool at Old Trafford.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his team were thrashed 5-0 by Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool on a humbling afternoon to intensify pressure for the under-fire manager.
Sadly, United have failed to win any silverware under Solskjaer who has continually struggled since he replaced Jose Mourinho as Manchester United boss in December 2018
Meanwhile, many United fans may have hoped for a possible resignation of the Norwegian tactician due to his continual struggles at Old Trafford especially after United have managed to score only two goals while conceding a whopping nine goals in their last two Premier League games.
But indifferently, Solskjaer has remained defiant to Red Devil’s woes with the former United’s marksman insisting of his further stay at the Theatre of Dreams.
‘I have come too far, we have come too far as a group. We are too close to give up now,’ Solskjaer said.
‘It is going to be a difficult one. The players will be low but there’s loads of characters there. We know we are rock bottom, we can’t feel any worse than this. Let’s see where we take it.’
Manchester United were 2-0 down inside 13 minutes as 2020 Premier League champions Liverpool made a flying start and scored twice through Naby Keita and Diogo Jota.
In-form Mohamed Salah scored twice before half-time to put Liverpool 4-0 up at the break and the Egyptian superstar completed his hat-trick five minutes after the restart.
While Liverpool did not extend their lead any further, Manchester United’s afternoon got even worse when second-half substitute Paul Pogba was sent off for a late challenge on Keita.
Solskjaer added: ‘It is not easy to say something apart from it is the darkest day I have had leading these players.
‘We were not good enough individually and as a team, can’t give a team like Liverpool those chances but unfortunately we did.
‘The whole performance was not good enough. We created openings, they had chances and they have been clinical. The third goal decided the game.’
Red Devils captain Harry Maguire, meanwhile, apologised to the club’s fans, many of whom left at half-time as Liverpool handed out a thrashing.
‘We apologise to the fans, it was nowhere near good enough for this club,’ Maguire said. ‘They stuck with us right to the end and we appreciate that but as a club we have to do better.
‘I am so disappointed, we gave them so many chances. They were so clinical, we had a lot of chances ourselves but I am a defender and to concede four in the first half especially at Old Trafford is nowhere near good enough.
As a player I know myself. I’ll be looking at myself and my individual performance. We have to stick together, there is no point blaming each other but look at ourselves.
‘Look in the mirror when we go home tonight and think where we can do better. To lose to Liverpool in any game of football hurts.
‘The rivals, the way we lost the game, to be 4-0 down at half time in front of our fans, like I say it is not good enough.’
Meanwhile, it is left to be seen if Solskjaer will remain at Old Trafford as the Red Devils hope to bounce back to shape when they take on Tottenham Hotspur next weekend.