Ole Gunnar Solskjaer shed light on his swift meeting with one of Manchester United's bosses, where he was left bitterly disappointed
Besiktas coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is seen during the game between FC Shakhtar Donetsk and Besiktas J.K. in Krakow, Poland, on July 31, 2025
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been linked with a return to Manchester United(Image: Marcin Golba/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks set to miss out on the interim job of Manchester United manager having relinquished the job in a five-minute conversation the first time around.
In November 2021, a string of lacklustre results at start the 2021/22 season came to a head with United's humiliating 4-1 loss at Watford. The defeat sealed Solskjaer's fate, with the Norwegian realising his time was up even as his side trailed 2-0 at the break.
But the United icon wasn't formally dismissed until the following morning, when he was summoned to a meeting with then-executive vice chairman Ed Woodward. The encounter lasted just five minutes before Solskjaer was relieved of his position.
Speaking on the Stick to Football Podcast, Solskjaer later recalled: "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, couple of the lads were actually in tears, and they had a go.
"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.'"
The ex-Molde boss, who stepped in as United's caretaker manager in December 2018 before being given the role permanently three months later, has been linked with the vacant interim position at the club again over the past week.
Michael Carrick and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Michael Carrick is set to be appointed instead of Solskjaer(Image: Getty Images)
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After spending seven months at Besiktas last year, the 52-year-old was among the candidates who held discussions with United's director of football Jason Wilcox in recent days as the club sought a replacement for Ruben Amorim, who was sacked on January 6.
Both Solskjaer and fellow Old Trafford legend Michael Carrick presented their case for the position, with Carrick reportedly making a particularly strong impression with his vision and seemingly emerging as the frontrunner.
United are now believed to be on the verge of reaching an agreement with Carrick to take charge on an interim basis through to the end of the campaign. Sky Sports report that while no contract has yet been signed, Carrick's deal is expected to last until the end of June, succeeding his former team-mate and caretaker manager Darren Fletcher.
There was said to be no broad agreement yet on the bulk of substantive issues as of Monday, with negotiations instead ongoing over his backroom staff. United are currently seventh in the Premier League table and are out of all of the cup competitions already this season.