LONDON (REUTERS) - A week can be an awfully long time in soccer as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer showed on Saturday (Oct 30) with an impressive riposte to those who predicted his Old Trafford days were numbered. Last weekend's humiliating 5-0 home defeat by Liverpool produced a typically hysterical response from fans and media alike, but the Norwegian deflected the unwanted spotlight as his side crushed Tottenham Hotspur 3-0 six days later. Solskjaer's tactics had been rightly questioned in the aftermath of the Liverpool shocker but a few tweaks in north London, namely the inclusion of Uruguayan forward Edinson Cavani alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, worked a treat. After conceding nine goals in their last two league games the inclusion of Raphael Varane in a back three alongside Victor Lindelof and captain Harry Maguire also gave Solskjaer's team more solidity. Solskjaer could have been excused for gloating after his side's win that lifted them into fifth spot, only three points behind champions Manchester City. Instead, Solskjaer was full of praise for his players. "Of course, when you come off the pitch winning 3-0, keeping the ball away from our goal - David de Gea didn't have a save to make - that's pleasing," he said. "In football, sometimes, it goes for us and sometimes against. We worked on this this week. The boys were brilliant, they took it on board. "Raphael Varane is a top player. He reads the game well. He's quick and so experienced. To get him back was massive." Some had even questioned Ronaldo's place in the starting line-up but the Portuguese scored a splendid opener and set up Cavani for the second. "I've been here three years as manager and Tuesday's training performance by Edinson Cavani is the best performance anyone has put into a training session here," he said. "The old men led from the front. They play well together. They have loads of respect for each other. The work rate and quality they put in is second to none." More on this topic Related Story Football: Ronaldo buys time for Solskjaer as Man United thump Spurs Related Story Football: Man United bounce back, Chelsea extend lead after Liverpool, Man City slips Such is life in the Old Trafford hot seat, however, that Solskjaer knows a poor result away to Atalanta in midweek in the Champions League will put him in the dock once again. And he knows that it will need more than a win against a poor Tottenham side to erase the taste of the Liverpool debacle. "Of course, it doesn't. That's always going to be in the history books - one of the darkest days. A dark spot on our CV. But football becomes history so quickly," Solskjaer said. More on this topic Related Story Football: Klopp frustrated as Liverpool lose ground at the top Related Story Football: 'Many things wrong' admits Guardiola as Palace shock Man City
MANCHESTER (AFP) - Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said Manchester United's 5-0 thrashing at home to Liverpool on Sunday (Oct 24) is the low point of his nearly three years in charge of the Red Devils, but insisted he will continue as manager. United trailed 4-0 at half-time for the first time in Premier League history as Mohamed Salah struck twice after Naby Keita and Diogo Jota opened the floodgates inside the first 15 minutes. Salah completed his hat-trick shortly after the break as Liverpool won by a five-goal margin for the first time away to their fiercest rivals. "It is not easy to say something apart from it is the darkest day I have had leading these players," Solskjaer told Sky Sports. "We were not good enough individually and as a team. "The whole performance was not good enough." Solskjaer's men have taken just one point from the last 12 in the Premier League to fall eight points off leaders Chelsea after just nine games. United were thrashed 6-1 at home to Tottenham in front of an empty Old Trafford last season, but recovered to finish second in the Premier League. However, Solskjaer said this defeat was even more damaging given the context of the rivalry between the clubs. "You can look at last season we lose to Spurs 6-1 this is worse, miles worse," he added. "This is miles worse for me as a Manchester lad. I've just got to say we have to get over this as quickly as we can." Solskjaer is yet to win a trophy since taking charge in December 2018, but has been credited with leading the club back into the Champions League in the past two seasons. And he insisted he will not step down despite the growing calls for him to lose his job. "I have come too far, we have come too far as a group. We are too close to give up now," he said. "The players will be low but there's loads of characters there. "We know we are rock bottom, we can't feel any worse than this. Let's see where we take it." United captain Harry Maguire issued an apology to the club's fans for the humiliating defeat. "We apologise to the fans, it was nowhere near good enough for this club," said the England defender. "To lose to Liverpool in any game of football hurts. The way we lost the game, to be 4-0 down at half-time in front of our fans, like I say it is not good enough." More on this topic Related Story Football: Salah hits hat-trick as Liverpool humiliate Man Utd Related Story On The Ball: No option but to keep Solskjaer at the wheel at Manchester United
BERN, SWITZERLAND (REUTERS) - Manchester United coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said poor discipline cost his side in their 2-1 Champions League defeat to Young Boys on Tuesday (Sept 14), but insisted there was plenty of time left to turn things around. United had taken an early lead through Cristiano Ronaldo and appeared on course to get this season's Champions League campaign off to a winning start, but Young Boys turned things around in dramatic style in the second half. Aaron Wan-Bissaka's 35th-minute sending off proved costly, with no side going on to win the Champions League previously after losing their opening match in the competition's history. "Of course, discipline is a huge part of tournament football," Solskjaer said. "If this was a knockout game and we got knocked out of the competition because we went down to 10 men, everyone would be kicking ourselves. "We're fortunate it is the first game of the group and have loads of time to bounce back from it. "We know we've given ourselves a more difficult task. We've lost the opportunity to get three points but we've got two home games next and got to focus on those two." The winning goal in the 95th minute came about after a defensive mistake from substitute Jesse Lingard, who woefully underhit a back pass. Solskjaer, however, refused to blame the winger for the defeat. "With Jesse, no footballer likes making mistakes but it's obviously part and parcel of the game," Solskjaer added. "We're humans, every footballer makes mistakes, we'll learn from it, he'll learn from it. He'll pick himself up and be ready to go on Sunday (against West Ham)." Young Boys coach David Wagner was delighted with his side's famous victory. "We showed what we can do, we deserved it," Wagner said. "It is an incredible night for this club. You can see what it means to the fans, after they have been kept away for so long." More on this topic Related Story Football: Young Boys strike late to stun Ronaldo's Man United in Champions League Related Story Football: Sevilla draw with Salzburg in Champions League after four first-half penalties awarded