Former Manchester United manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, candidly discusses his lowest point during his tenure, the crushing 5-0 defeat to Liverpool in 2021, and makes a noteworthy comment regarding Jürgen Klopp’s team.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has opened up about what he considers the “lowest point” in his career as the manager of Manchester United.
The Norwegian manager has admitted that the 5-0 loss to Liverpool in October 2021 was a pivotal low in his managerial journey. Reflecting on that match, Solskjaer acknowledged Liverpool’s formidable strength under Jürgen Klopp and expressed remorse for his decisions during that Premier League debacle.
Liverpool was already four goals ahead by halftime, with Mohamed Salah’s brace complementing strikes from Naby Keïta and Diogo Jota. Salah completed his hat-trick early in the second half, sealing a historic victory for the Reds.
Solskjaer commented, “Those teams from Manchester City and Liverpool were the best their respective clubs have ever had, guided by fantastic managers. I realize it’s a bold statement, considering how good Liverpool was in the ’80s, but Klopp’s side was exceptional.”
“In my last season, we faced Liverpool at home. I believed my players were ready, just as I did when we triumphed over City. We could have chosen to sit back and counter, but I decided to go for it. We ended up losing 5-0. It was an almost even split in terms of possession and chances at halftime, but we were down 4-0.”
The humbling defeat to Liverpool marked a turning point in Solskjaer’s managerial career, and he acknowledged it as his lowest moment at the helm of Manchester United. The 50-year-old manager added, “Roberto Firmino was probably the opposing player who caused me the most trouble during my time as a manager. The 6-1 loss to Spurs at home was a different situation influenced by a red card.”
Although Solskjaer has revisited matches from his Manchester United tenure, he confessed that he cannot bring himself to watch the highlights of the 5-0 loss, along with three other painful defeats. Currently working for UEFA as a technical observer, Solskjaer stated, “I can’t bear to watch that one [the 2021 Europa League final], or the matches against Liverpool, Spurs [6-1 loss], or Watford [4-1 loss]. It’s out of the question. I watched the others, and we were a decent side. But I should have started or at least introduced Nemanja Matic against Villarreal. That game was meant for him, but I didn’t select him because I believed others deserved it more.”
