OLE’S FIGHTING FOR HIS FUTURE

Glazers hold crisis talks with Woodward ++ Players questioning Solskjaer’s tactics ++ Conte lead candidate

OLE Gunnar Solskjaer is fighting to save his job as Manchester United manager with speculation mounting over his future at Old Trafford.

It is understood Solskjaer fears his time in charge may be coming to an end after nearly three years, with former Chelsea coach Antonio Conte considered the leading candidate to replace him. Following a day of deafening silence at United, there was last night some lukewarm support for Solskjaer more than 24 hours after the humiliating 5-0 defeat by Liverpool.

Chairmen Joel and Avram Glazer held crisis talks with executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward and managing director Richard Arnold yesterday as the shock of losing so pathetically to their bitter rivals continued to reverberate around the club.

Meanwhile, Solskjaer spent two and a half hours at the training ground around lunchtime after giving his squad and coaching staff the day off. Senior players are

now questioning Solskjaer’s tactics and leadership, amid concerns that he lacks the experience to get out of trouble and is too soft on them.

It is not the first time the 48-year-old has faced an uncertain future since he returned to the club in 2018. Whereas United have previously offered Solskjaer unequivocal backing, however, the message last night was less emphatic.

Sources stressed the need to pull together and move on from Sunday’s loss, adding that there is nothing to indicate Solskjaer won’t still be in charge when United visit Tottenham on Saturday.

Conte has expressed an interest in the job, having been out of work since leaving Inter Milan in May, although his camp maintain that they will not open talks with United until Solskjaer’s situation has been resolved.

Appointing the 52-year-old would represent a major U-turn for United after bringing Solskjaer back to Old Trafford to replace Jose Mourinho and oversee a cultural shift in keeping with the club’s traditions. Like Mourinho, Conte tends to work in short cycles and would want his own staff.

In the aftermath of the Liverpool loss, sources claim Solskjaer was as stunned as anyone in the dressing room. As revealed by MailOnline, Solskjaer is understood to have called on his players to fight their way back from one of the darkest days the club has suffered.

‘It was made clear to the players that they all, including the manager, will get battered,’ said the source. ‘But the message was that the team either fight each other or fight back together.’

A number of players believe they were not prepared to play the desired pressing game against Liverpool because they had not focused on the tactic in training.

David de Gea gave a brutal assessment of the defeat, saying: ‘It hurts. It is not good enough. We keep on conceding s**t goals. We play like kids and I have to apologise to the fans.’