Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has spoken out after his side’s emphatic 5-0 defeat to Liverpool on Sunday.
The Red Devils were unable to build on their victory over Atalanta in midweek, being blitzed by Jurgen Klopp’s side. And the Norwegian has now addressed one of his darkest days as manager.
Manchester United were torn apart by Liverpool on Sunday, with the Reds superior in every department.
Mohamed Salah stole the show, with the Egypt international scoring a hat-trick to take his goal tally to the campaign for 15.
And Naby Keita and Diogo Jota were also on target as Liverpool ran riot.
It was a sensational performance from Jurgen Klopp’s team and Solskjaer, speaking after the game, has now addressed the loss.
The Norwegian cut a downbeat figure, acknowledging the magnitude of the result.
But he also admitted that he’d soldier on, insisting he’s the right man for the job at the current moment in time.
“It is mine, that is it,” he said.
“The coaching staff are very, very good, brilliant. I choose the way we approach the game, we were not clinical enough and gave too much spaces and when you give good players space they score.
“We are at home, playing against Liverpool, we have gone here over the last two and half years and had a similar approach to high press but today they scored on their chances I think as Manchester United we should always try to stamp our authority on the game.
“That fourth goal is when you go into half time with having to score one every 15 minutes. I know these boys are capable of it. The fourth, that was probably game over.
“You can look at last season we lose to Spurs 6-1 this is worse, miles worse. This is miles worse for me as a Manchester lad.
“I’ve just got to say we have to get over this as quickly as we can.
I have come too far, we have come too far as a group. We are too close to give up now.
“It is going to be a difficult one. The players will be low but there’s loads of characters there.
“We know we are rock bottom, we can’t feel any worse than this. Let’s see where we take it.”
Solskjaer also labelled the defeat as the ‘darkest day’ of his time as United manager.
“It is not easy to say something apart from it is the darkest day I have had leading these players,” he said.
“We were not good enough individually and as a team, can’t give a team like Liverpool those chances but unfortunately we did.
“The whole performance was not good enough. We created openings, they had chances and they have been clinical.
“The third goal decided the game.”
While it was painful for Solskjaer, it was ecstasy for Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool.
And the German was delighted after the game, saying: “What can I say? Did I expect that? No.
“What we did in the last third was insane. Pressing high, winning balls, scored wonderful goals.
“I told them at half-time to play better. We started incredibly well and stopped playing football.
“We controlled the game after the fifth, it was not about scoring more, just trying to get out without more injuries.
“The result is insane, I asked if there was one like this in history and if there isn’t then it will take a while.
“The players put a nice piece in the book. It is special but we don’t celebrate like crazy, we have respect for the opponents.
“We were lucky in some moments, United are not in their best moment.”