Manchester United news: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer confirmed as interim manager as club chase Mauricio Pochettino
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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been appointed as Manchester United's next manager.
Jose Mourinho was sacked after two-and-a-half years in charge on Tuesday morning after a disappointing start to the season with the 3-1 Premier League defeat to Liverpool on Sunday proving the last straw. Solskjaer takes over as caretaker boss alongside former assistant Mike Phelan with the club considering their options for the long-term successor.
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Here's what the new man has to say.
Manchester United is in my heart and it’s brilliant to be coming back in this role.
I’m really looking forward to working with the very talented squad we have, the staff and everyone at the club.
Ed Woodward is delighted with the appointment.
Ole is a club legend with huge experience, both on the pitch and in coaching roles.
His history at Manchester United means he lives and breathes the culture here and everyone at the club is delighted to have him and Mike Phelan back.
We are confident they will unite the players and the fans as we head into the second half of the season.
The club have also confirmed that Michael Carrick and Kieran McKenna will stay on to work alongside Solskjaer.
Mike Phelan also returns to the club to assist him.
What will Solskjaer bring to Manchester United?
We asked an expert exactly that.
Some great detail in here.
Speaking moments before Solskjaer's appointment was made official, former United first-team coach Rene Meulensteen warned it would be a huge job for the Norwegian.
"It would be a good choice in terms of the fact that they want to bring back some of the spirit that was at United in the time of Sir Alex Ferguson, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was a big part of that," he said on Sky Sports News.
"In that respect I can understand they were looking for a candidate who can live up to those expectations.
"If they do decide for Ole and Ole decides to accept then again it is a big ask for everybody. But I think in the short term it would be a good choice to make."
Meulensteen added that bringing in Mike Phelan as first-team coach would be crucial to helping Solskjaer be successful in the role.
"That's massive," he said. "Mike has been with the club a long, long time, as a player and then as assistant manager.
"He will be really important to help Ole to steady the ship and more importantly to get a smile back on the faces of the players and get the best out of them."
Solskjaer's first game in charge will be Saturday's trip to former club Cardiff.
He managed the Bluebirds between January 2014 to September 2014, failing to stop them being relegated from the Premier League.
Solskjaer won just nine of his 30 games in charge, losing 16 and drawing five.
Molde have confirmed that Solskjaer will return to the club in May, with chief executive officer Oystein Neerland saying they are happy to "lend" their coach to United.
"That Manchester United ask Molde FK to lend the manager is by itself an event, and not least a statement of trust for both Ole Gunnar and Molde FK," Neerland said.
"We are happy to lend Ole Gunnar, we wish both him and the club a success.
"This is a big opportunity for Molde FK, we think it will be developing and helping to put Molde FK further on the football card."
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