Manchester United fires manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

“Ole will always be a legend at Manchester United and it is with regret that we have reached this difficult decision,” United said a day after a 4-1 loss to Watford.

Former midfielder Michael Carrick, who was on Solskjaer’s coaching staff will be in temporary charge, starting with a trip to Spain for a Champions League match at Villarreal in the group stage on Monday.

United said it would look to then appoint a manager only until the end of the season. Solskjaer’s future has hung in the balance before but he has finally lost his job at the club where he was adored as a player, notably for scoring the dramatic late winner in the 1999 Champions League final.

He couldn’t replicate that success as a manager, failing to win a single trophy. “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,” United said.