Man Utd insider refutes Solskjaer claim about his final game as manager – ‘they all wanted to play’
Manchester United journalist Andy Mitten has responded to claims made by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer about his final game as manager of the Premier League giants.
Solskjaer initially boosted spirits at Old Trafford following Jose Mourinho’s stint as manager but the club legend was sacked in November 2021.
“A couple of the lads were actually in tears…”
The 51-year-old was recently linked with a shock move to Bayern Munich but he has been out of work since leaving Man Utd during the 2021/22 campaign.
Solskjaer has not done many interviews since leaving Man Utd but he appeared on The Stick to Football podcast alongside Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher, Roy Keane, Ian Wright and Jill Scott earlier this week.
In his final game in charge, Man Utd were 2-0 down against Watford at Vicarage Road by half-time and ended up losing 4-1.
United’s former manager claimed via The Stick to Football podcast that he asked his players at half-time to put their hands up if they “don’t want to play”.
Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay were the players taken off at the break and they were replaced by Anthony Martial and Donny van de Beek. Harry Maguire was sent off for two bookings with 20 minutes to go, while Luke Shaw and Jadon Sancho went off for Diogo Dalot and Jesse Lingard inside the final ten minutes.
Speaking via The Stick to Football podcast, Solskjaer said: “At half-time against Watford I knew, that’s it.
“So the team talk at half-time was about ‘Whoever wants to play can play, put your hand up if you don’t want to play’. Made a few changes, a couple of the lads were actually in tears, and they had a go.”
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Solskjaer “knew” he was getting sacked after the loss to Watford
He added: “Then after the game I knew, but I didn’t hear anything. But I still knew. The next morning you get a text: ‘I want to see you in my office’. So I knew.
“I’d just left my missus at the airport and then text her ‘I think I’ll be coming back with you’.
“I took about five minutes with Ed [Woodward] and then stayed and spoke to some of the lads and did an interview because I needed to do it properly.
“I’ve always seen managers leave it… like two months later they slag someone off… that’s not me. I’m like ‘No, I want to do it now, tell everyone I’m proud and privileged and move on’.”
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Respected Man Utd reporter Andy Mitten has since refuted the comments made by Solskjaer, though. He is of the understanding that all of his players “wanted to play” and it was the manager’s “decision” to take off McTominay and Rashford”.
“This suggestion that players put their hands up not to play the second half at Watford is not true,” Mitten tweeted.
“They all wanted to play. Scott McTominay and Marcus Rashford were subbed. Ole’s decision. Rashford had been injured. Scott wasn’t playing well. That’s it.”
