The Old Trafford interim boss laid into his team in dramatic dressing room scenes on Tuesday night.
That came after furious Paul Pogba smashed up his locker and apologised to his team-mates for his sending off that will force him out of the return leg.
Solskjaer was more concerned with how the whole team had lost their composure as his run of ten wins and a draw came to a sobering end.
The Norwegian joked when he was unveiled as manager in mid-December that he had his own hairdryer to turn on the players if needed.
That was the infamous nickname given to Sir Alex Ferguson’s verbal blasts at his players.
And he let it rip on Tuesday night.
He was angry for them letting in the first goal from a set-piece and said they were rash with their tackling incurring needless yellow cards and conceding too many free-kicks.
Solskjaer told them they needed to be patient when they did not have the ball as PSG were so good tactically in possession.
A United source said: “He told them that they tried to play the game as if it was a one legged tie.
“He wanted them to remain patient and not to concede easy goals and they then went and conceded from a relatively easy set piece and everything just went downhill from there.”
United now have a mountain to climb particularly without Pogba who will be suspended for the second-leg in Paris in three weeks.
The source added: “The players were so deflated after the game – they haven’t felt that bad since the time Mourinho was in charge. He tried to keep them optimistic about the second leg.
“He told them that they have to remain positive in football because anything can happen.”
Despite their European set-back United have still made up an 11-point deficit under Solskjaer to get into the Premier League’s top four.
Two wins in the FA Cup has also earned them a fifth round tie away to Chelsea on Monday night.