AND SHOULD HAVE LEFT OLD TRAFFORD LAST SUMMER IN THE DETAIL Reds want Mauricio to replace axed Ole

Solskjaer lacked ruthless streak needed for Reds

INEVITABLE: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with Ronaldo after goals against Newcastle and ( right) dejected after Watford defeat

OLE Gunnar Solskjaer should be grateful he has been finally put out of his misery.

The pain and suffering has come to an end and the Norwegian will no longer have to go through the indignity of having to stand on the touchline looking hopelessly out of his depth.

Let’s be clear, Solskjaer was never a thoroughbred manager.

He was nowhere near experienced, tough or smart enough to be at the helm of one of the biggest clubs in the world.

You need to be brutal, ruthless, intimidating and selfish to manage United — and the likeable Norwegian was nothing of the sort.

He was too nice. He wasn’t capable of making big decisions, like dropping his failing captain Harry Maguire and showed too much favouritism to too many players who, like Maguire, didn’t deserve it.

He refused the chance to strengthen his coaching staff to give himself more wisdom and support to lean on — and remained in awe of his hero, Alex Ferguson.

That’s the same Fergie who has been keen for United bosses to move and heaven and earth to lure Mauricio Pochettino to Old Trafford.

The writing has been on the wall for Ole since the end of last season.

Once again, he ended it without silverware to his name, having won just one of his last five games while losing a League Cup semi-final and Europa League final.

His reward was a new contract worth €29m. Go figure that one out?

Solskjaer might have been capable of pulling the odd rabbit out of a hat, but in the biggest games, the ones that mattered most, he was left looking exposed and flawed.

Only the goals of Cristiano Ronaldo kept the flame flickering for Solskjaer in recent weeks.

Evidence

So he remained in charge, despite the growing evidence against him, including those utterly humbling and humiliating home defeats to United’s two biggest rivals, Liverpool and Manchester City.

Those running United had never imagined being in the position of having to replace Solskjaer this season, so there was no Plan B in place.

Once Antonio Conte was deemed too expensive and Zinedine Zidane unsuitable, there was literally nowhere left to turn and Solskjaer

14 Aug

stayed in the job by default.

Yet Solskjaer won just six games in the Champions League as a manager while Zidane has won the competition itself three times.

Solskjaer looked totally lost and out of his depth. Solskjaer had got the job he always wanted, only to discover he didn’t have the skills to make a decent fist of it.

Sentiment gave way to sense, due to Solskjaer’s legendary status in the eyes of supporters who will always cherish him for having scored the goal that won United the Champions League in the Nou Camp in 1999.

But all this did was give the man himself more rope with which to hang himself.

His depar tu re should have come last summer.

He was given more than enough time to prove himself and this might just have been the biggest problem.

BLOW: Manchester United’s David de Gea looks dejected after the defeat at Watford appoint on a permanent basis next summer.

Alex Ferguson has been a long-time admirer of Pochettino and has previously tried to lure him to Old Trafford but it seems United are finally set to land the Argentine.

And United great Gary Neville said: “He’s always been a stand- out candidate and the only name I’ve mentioned as someone I thought really suited Manchester United in terms of core principles and values and how they play, how he acts and behaves.”

Pochettino has one full season left on his contract at PSG, so compensation to extricate him from his role there would not be minimal for United.

Pochettino took Spurs into the Premier

League’s topfour and a

Champions

League final in five- and- ahalf years, before leaving in 2019 and taking over at

PSG in

January.

Legend

United said in a statement: “Ole will always be a legend at

Manchester

United and it is with regret that we have reached this difficult decision. “While the past few weeks have been disappointing, they should not obscure all the work he has done over the past three years to rebuild the foundations for long- term success.

“Ole leaves with our sincerest thanks for his tireless efforts as manager and our very best wishes for the future.

“His place in the club’s history will always be secure, not just for his story as a player, but as a great man and a manager who gave us many great moments. “Michael Carrick will now take charge of the team for forthcoming games, while the club looks to appoint an interim manager to the end of the season.”