5 most humiliating defeats suffered by Manchester United under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

Watford v Manchester United - Premier League
Watford v Manchester United - Premier League

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has finally parted ways with the club and it is something that was inevitable given the club's poor form this season. The Red Devils have struggled immensely in the Premier League and are already out of the Carabao Cup.

Much of the criticism has been thrown Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's way given Manchester United have struggled to have a defined style of football. Despite being given a number of chances, the Norwegian has failed to turn things around.

Manchester United under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer saw some humiliating results

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer spent almost three years as Manchester United's manager and while he did decent initially, the desired targets were not met. During his tenure as the Red Devils' manager, the club saw some mind-boggling results.

Manchester United were at times badly humiliated by the opposition and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had no answers to it. Given the high standards at the club, these were deemed to be beyond poor results. On that note, let's take a look at some of the most humiliating results under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.


#5 Leicester City (Premier League: 4-2)

Leicester City v Manchester United - Premier League
Leicester City v Manchester United - Premier League

Manchester United and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer were facing a lot of heat at the start of October this year. The Red Devils failed to capitalize on results against weaker teams. As such, the pressure was on them to turn things around when they were to face Leicester City at the King Power stadium on 16th October, 2021.

Despite the Foxes starting brightly, Manchester United took the lead through a stunning long-range goal from Mason Greenwood. However, former Leicester defender Harry Maguire gave the ball away cheaply which allowed Youri Tielemans to equalize in even better fashion.

Leicester shifted gears in the second half and took the lead through Caglar Soyuncu in the 78th minute. Manchester United substitute Marcus Rashford equalized just four minutes later. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer thought the match was heading for a draw but the Foxes had other plans.

Jamie Vardy scored immediately after the equalizer with Paston Daka adding one more in injury time to add more misery for Manchester United. The Red Devils looked outclassed in almost every department. The loss came after a defeat and draw to Aston Villa and Everton respectively, piling up more pressure on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.


#3 Villarreal (UEFA Europa League Final: 1-1 (11-10))

Villarreal CF v Manchester United - UEFA Europa League Final
Villarreal CF v Manchester United - UEFA Europa League Final

Manchester United, under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, reached their first final under the Norwegian's reign in the 2020-21 Europa League final. They faced Villarreal, who were managed by former Arsenal manager Unai Emery.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had the better squad and they were the likely candidates to win the final. But their hopes were dented when Gerard Moreno scored in the 29th minute. Edinson Cavani stepped up and scored in the 55th minute to equalize. Post that, the match was quite dull with no team able to create enough to make the difference.

The game eventually went to the penalty shootout. All 10 outfield players from both Manchester United and Villarreal scored their respective penalties and it all came down to the goalkeepers. Geronimo Rulli scored for the Yellow Submarines but David De Gea could not score for the Red Devils.

In a game where Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's men should have dominated and won comfortably, they struggled to score. What made the loss so humiliating was that United were the better side on paper and they still failed to lift some much-needed silverware.

#3 Watford (Premier League : 4-1)

Watford v Manchester United - Premier League
Watford v Manchester United - Premier League

This was the match that defined Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's fate at Manchester United. Many United fans were hoping that the Norwegian might be sacked before the start of the international break but it did not happen.

Post the break, Manchester United were visiting Watford at Vicarage Road. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer desperately needed a result to survive. The Red Devils were on the backfoot from the beginning of the match. David De Gea kept them in the game after saving a penalty from Ismaila Sarr but couldn't help it when former Manchester United forward Joshua King scored in the 28th minute.

Sarr made up for his early miss as he scored Watford's second in the 44th minute. Second-half substitute Donny van de Beek pulled one back for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's Manchester United. But it all went south for the Red Devils when Harry Maguire received his second yellow in the 69th minute.

United looked all over the place after the sending off and were brutally bombarded by Watford. Eventually, the Hornets scored two more goals in injury time to record an unbelievable victory against the Premier League giants. It was a devastating defeat for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his players.


#2 Tottenham Hotspur (Premier League: 6-1)

Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur - Premier League
Manchester United v Tottenham Hotspur - Premier League

Manchester United hosted Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford in October last year. This match marked the return of former United manager Jose Mourinho, who was managing Spurs at the time.

The Red Devils took an early lead with Bruno Fernandes converting from the spot. Tanguy Ndombele equalized just two minutes later and the north London club took the lead when Son Heung-min scored in the seventh minute. It all went south for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer when Anthony Martial was sent off for dragging his hand across Erik Lamela's face.

Spurs went on a rampage thereafter and netted four more goals, with the final score being 6-1. It was an embarrassing defeat for Manchester United as it was United's joint-heaviest defeat in their history.


#1 Liverpool (Premier League: 5-0)

Liverpool FC v Manchester United - Premier League
Liverpool FC v Manchester United - Premier League

Manchester United were already struggling before they hosted Liverpool at Old Trafford this season. The pressure was mounting on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to get a big win against the Reds.

But it all went wrong from the very beginning. Naby Keita scored in the fifth minute, registering an early lead. Diogo Jota wasted no time in doubling it in the 13th minute. Manchester United looked clueless with their tactics and were out of position and shape throughout the match.

Liverpool's star-performer Mohamed Salah went on to score a hat-trick with two goals coming in the first half and the third just minutes after the restart. Things only deteriorated for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer when Paul Pogba was sent off at the hour mark.

The final score read 0-5 with Manchester United losing against their arch rivals Liverpool. It was rumored that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would be fired post this humiliating defeat but it did not happen. However, he has now left the job and this ranks right up there in terms of the disappointments during his stint at Old Trafford.

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Edited by Nived Zenith
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