“I’ve been here when managers have left and they just pack their stuff and go out the door.”
Marcus Rashford has revealed that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said goodbye to the Manchester United players twice after his dismissal was confirmed.
The Norwegian was sacked after United’s embarrassing 4-0 defeat at Watford and before leaving, he gave an unusual final interview where he admitted that he had made a point of speaking to the players at their Carrington training ground.
England international Rashford disclosed that the departing Solskjaer spoke to the players on two occasions before he left, adding that it showed how good a person he is.
“[He spoke to us] individually, around breakfast time, then we had a meeting before we went out to train, which was very different,” Marcus Rashford told Sky Sports.
“I’ve been here when managers have left and they just pack their stuff and go out the door. But it just shows how good a person he is, how much the club means to him.
“Ole knows he’ll always be a legend of this club and the players here respect him 100 per cent. It’s unfortunate that it didn’t go our way as a group. The way it started, the position he brought us to, we were close a couple of times to winning big trophies and we always seemed to just fall short.
“If those moments go our way, we could end up with two or three trophies, maybe he’d have had more time. But it’s football, things happen, and you can only move on from it. Even though it’s difficult, you have to find a way to move on.”
‘Inside, you feel guilty,” Marcus Rashford admits
Rashford – who has made over 250 appearances for the Red Devils – is a United fan himself, and boasted a particular affinity to Solskjaer.
The 24-year-old admitted that he feels guilty for what happened to the manager, but that there hasn’t been time to reflect on what happened. He added:
“Inside you feel guilty because everybody has a role to play when you’re on the pitch. But there has been little time for reflection.”
Days after Solskjaer’s sacking was confirmed, Michael Carrick was named caretaker boss and took charge of United’s crucial Champions League win at Villarreal in midweek – a result which sent the club into the last-16 of the competition.
It has since been revealed that the Red Devils have agreed a deal with Ralf Rangnick to become the interim manager until the end of the season.
United go to Stamford Bridge having lost five of their last seven games in the top flight, with the Blues having lost just one of their opening 12 fixtures.
Related links:
- Solskjaer ‘vetoed’ tactical switch suggested by Carrick and McKenna, reports claim
- Harry Maguire states the blindingly obvious about Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sacking
- Cristiano Ronaldo speaks out on Solskjaer sacking for the first time
