Manchester United vs Watford: Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s next job plan ahead of fixture | Football | Sport

The last time Manchester United faced Watford, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was in the dugout. He didn’t last much longer, however, with the Norwegian then losing his job in the aftermath of a 4-1 defeat to Vicarage Road. He’s yet to return to football but, in his farewell interview, indicated that was his big hope for the future.

Manchester United were a club in crisis when they last faced off against Watford.

Heavy defeats to the likes of Leicester and Liverpool, as well as a dire 2-0 home defeat to Manchester City, had left Solskjaer on the brink.

At the start of the season, hopes had been high that the arrivals of Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane and Cristiano Ronaldo would spark a charge towards the Premier League title.

But, as Solskjaer stepped into the dugout the match against Watford on Vicarage Road, his neck was on the line.

And, after United were thumped 4-1 by the Hornets, the 49-year-old was then relieved of his duties with Ed Woodward and the Glazers opting to wield the axe.

In the time since, Solskjaer has barely been seen.

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That’s something no other United boss since Sir Alex Ferguson has been able to achieve.

And Solskjaer insisted he was proud of his legacy at Old Trafford upon departing, saying: “Well, I’m proud of what we did.

“The first run first of all, that was enjoyable.

“But then to finish third, I loved that last game, Jesse [Lingard] scored. The way we put the run together and got the third position, fantastic.

“Great effort by everyone, the team, the squad.

“Second place last season ahead of arguably one of the best teams in Europe, I think that’s a great achievement as well.

“And we were so close in Europe. Sometimes that’s the fine margin for you, one penalty.

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“We were close and that’s something I’ll always remember as well. Semi-finals.

“I know the foundation is there, I know they’re ready to kick on and I’m sure they will.”

On trophies specifically, he added: “But you know, it’s not always the trophies all the time that is the be all and end all.

“I know that day, we needed to celebrate [by winning] that trophy.

“But that’s fine margins, we know the work we’ve put in is so important, to get to that final and to get so close, we’ve had to make so many good decisions along the way.

“Unfortunately, we couldn’t score 11 penalties on the bounce. You can laugh about it, but I look back at every single second here with pride.”

Ralf Rangnick will now be in charge for United’s match with Watford, having been named Solskjaer’s interim boss in December.