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Rob DawsonReporter
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is expected to be sacked as Manchester United management after saturday failed miserably 4-1 come Watford, sources have told ESPN.
A source added that Solskjaer knows he has to win on Saturday and is now expecting the worst.
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Despite the humiliation at the hands of Liverpool and City of ManchesterUnited directors, including co-chairman Joel Glazer and executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward, are keen on Solskjaer, who signed a new three-year deal in the summer, at least seeing the end of the season.
But the form of performances at Vicarage Road and United’s fifth defeat in their past seven games warranted fresh discussions between Glazer and Woodward on Saturday night. Chief negotiator Matt Judge was also involved in the negotiations.
Discussions among executives late on Saturday focused on the cost of the manager’s compensation, as well as which of his staff would stay at Old Trafford in the event he was sacked.
Lack of alternatives and Champions League results – United top Group F with two games left – has kept Solskjaer job on a string of poor results, but now there are real concerns the Norwegian will not be able to put the team in the top 4 and win a place in the financially lucrative Champions League for next season.
United passed up the opportunity to talk to Antonio Conte later 5-0 defeat to Liverpool at Old Trafford in October, and the Italians were since being appointed by Tottenham Hotspur.
There were varying degrees of support among United executives for Mauricio Pochettino, Brendan Rodgers, Zinedine Zidane, Erik ten Hag and Ralf Rangnick to take over, but all candidates except Zidane were recruited at other clubs.
There will be support for technical director Darren Fletcher and assistant coach Michael Carrick to lead the team in the interim, but the duo have not been tested as top-level coaches and United are facing a tough 10-game streak in the five weeks leading up to the end of the calendar year.
The next break in the party’s schedule is between Brighton and Hove AlbionA visit to Old Trafford on December 18 and a trip to Newcastle United Football Club on December 27th.
The most recent loss to Watford sent United down to 7th in the rankings.
They face Villarreal in Spain on Tuesday ahead of their trip to the leaders Chelsea on Sunday and a home game against Arsenal on December 2nd.
