Gary Neville reacts to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sacking

Former star Gary Neville admits the time had come for Manchester United to replace Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Manchester United have recently announced that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has stepped down as the manager in the wake of a 4-1 loss to Watford on the weekend. Michael Carrick is set to assume charge until the club finds a proper interim manager.

Reacting to the news, former Manchester United star Gary Neville has hailed Solskjaer for his work at Old Trafford over the past few years. A former teammate of the Norwegian during their time together at United, the 46-year-old had been known to defend Solskjaer in the past, even in the face of disappointing results.

Speaking to Sky Sports, as cited by Independent, Neville maintained his stance and thanked Solskjaer for his service over the past three years. “Ole will reflect with sadness but he can be proud of the work he did in the first two years. He rebuilt the soul of the club, the club was in a dark place at the end of the Jose Mourinho era,” he told Sky Sports.

“Ole can’t complain, he’s been given three years, he’s been backed in the transfer market. David Moyes was given eight months and kicked out, so I don’t think Ole can complain about the time he’s been given and the money he’s been afforded,” he added.

Manchester United can confirm that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has left his role as Manager.

Thank you for everything, Ole ❤️#MUFC

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) November 21, 2021

Solskjaer was in charge of Manchester United for a total of 168 competitive matches, including his short-stint as an interim coach. Despite overseeing a large development that witnessed the Red Devils once again become a title contender in the Premier League, the Norwegian tactician failed to secure a single trophy with the club.

After disappointing defeats to Liverpool, Manchester City and Watford, Gary Neville admitted that it was time for Manchester United to finally get rid of his old pal. “It’s been coming for the past few weeks, performance terrible and results shocking. Yesterday was wimpish at Watford,” Neville added.

“You’re always hoping the players would respond, that the two-week international break would bring some freshness but it looked like they had the world on their shoulders, their performance levels over the last few weeks have dipped. When a manager can’t get a performance out of his players and results are getting as bad as they are, in this game, you’re going to lose your job,” said the Englishman.

It will be interesting to see what the future holds for Manchester United after the exit of Solskjaer. The Red Devils are in the running for Erik ten Hag, but the Dutchman has recently confirmed that he is happy at Ajax. Hence, it won’t be surprising to see the club continue with Carrick on the touchline for the time being.