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What's the story?
Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed the reasons behind Red Devils' poor performances, stating that injuries and pressure off the pitch played a big part in the recent slump.
In case you didn't know...
After enduring a rocky first half of the 2018/19 season, Manchester United sacked Jose Mourinho in December. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was appointed as the caretaker manager and the Norwegian made an instant impact.
Solskjaer became the first Manchester United manager to win the first six league games and under his guidance, the Red Devils pulled off a sensational comeback and knocked PSG out from the Champions League in the round of 16 stages.
As a result of the positive performances, Solskjaer was appointed as the permanent manager at the end of March. But things have gone sideways since then for Solskjaer and his men. The Red Devils just won two out of their last 11 games, which saw them missing out on a top-four spot in the Premier League table.
In the last match, United drew 1-1 against Huddersfield which confirmed that they will not feature in the Champions League next season. It goes without saying that their season will be considered a failure.
The heart of the matter
Solskjaer explained the reasons behind United's recent slump.
Speaking to MUTV, the United boss said:
"Of course we had a fantastic start. Everyone just enjoyed themselves, because we started winning games."
"That’s human beings - when you win games, you’re confident, you smile, you enjoy yourself. Suddenly we got a few injuries and it’s been ups and downs for the last two months, but that’s football. That’s human beings. That’s a team. It’s not like [playing] Football Manager."
"You’ve got to deal with different stuff outside of football as well. So, there’s been highs and lows, but I’ve enjoyed it. It’s a great challenge."
What's next?
With nothing to play for, Manchester United will face Cardiff City in their last game of the 2018/19 season on Sunday.
The Red Devils are 6th in the league table with 66 points from 37 games.
