Under-fire Solskjaer tells Man Utd flops he is ’embarrassed’ of them as Old Trafford reign unravels
OLE GUNNAR SOLSKJAER told his flops that they were ‘embarrassing’ him after Manchester United’s defeat at West Ham.
The under-pressure Red Devils boss also tore into them at half-time of Sunday’s 2-0 loss, saying their performance bored him.
Solskjaer, yesterday given a vote of confidence by United’s executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward, regularly defends players in the media.
Yet privately, he has been constantly losing his temper as his reign unravels.
On Sunday in the capital he also accused them of showing no energy and panicking in the final third.
With the team losing 1-0 at the break, Solskjaer told his players they had better come back at full-time with all three points — only for them to concede again.
Morale is understood to be extremely low, with the mood having changed dramatically from pre-season when Solskjaer lifted the squad.
Since being made permanent manager on March 28, Solskjaer has won just five out of 17 games.
Tonight’s match against League One Rochdale in the Carabao Cup third round at Old Trafford provides Solskjaer with the chance to give his youngsters a runout again.
But 17-year-old Mason Greenwood missed Sunday’s defeat with illness, having scored the winner in the previous game at home to Astana in the Europa League.
It left United without a recognised striker by the end of the West Ham match, with Marcus Rashford having gone off with a groin strain.
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Solskjaer said the club must replace Romelu Lukaku if he was sold — but it did not happen.
Now Lukaku has scored three times in his first four Serie A games for table-toppers Inter Milan.
Despite the mood around the club, United are still expecting a crowd of around 55,000 tonight.