Luke Shaw says Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is NOT to blame for Manchester United’s woe in Liverpool loss

‘I wasn’t good enough, I need to be better… this result was coming’: Luke Shaw says Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is NOT to blame for Man United’s woe and condemns ‘easy to play through’ stars – including himself!

  • Manchester United suffered a humiliating defeat at home against Liverpool  
  • Luke Shaw was exposed to a three-on-one situation for Naby Keita’s opener 
  • Shaw also got in a muddle with Harry Maguire in build-up to Diogo Jota’s tap in
  • And the left-back insists the players, not Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, are to blame 


Luke Shaw has come to the staunch defence of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and insists he and his Manchester United team-mates are to blame for their current malaise.

The Red Devils suffered their third defeat of the Premier League season after a Mohamed Salah hat-trick inspired Liverpool to a thumping 5-0 win at Old Trafford.

The humiliating result – which leaves United seventh in the table and without a league victory since 19 September – further increased the pressure on Solskjaer, with his side opened up at will by Jurgen Klopp’s men following their four first-half goals.

Luke Shaw insists Man United’s players, and not boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, are to blame

Shaw (left) and his team-mates suffered a humiliating defeat by Liverpool at Old Trafford

Shaw (left) and his team-mates suffered a humiliating defeat by Liverpool at Old Trafford

Naby Keita’s opener saw Shaw exposed to a three-on-one situation, before a mix-up with centre-back Harry Maguire led to Diogo Jota’s tap-in eight minutes later.

And England left-back Shaw insists it is for those reasons the criticism should be levelled at his performance and that of his team-mates, insisting they were ‘too easy to play through’.

Asked about his thoughts on the game, Shaw told Stadium Astro: ‘Not good enough. I know of course this is a team sport but as individuals we need to be accountable for some of the performances.

‘That’s why I’m out here now, I’m not hiding in there and not speaking, I’ve come out and I will say I was not good enough. I speak on behalf of myself, not the team.

The result increased the pressure on the club's under-fire boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

The result increased the pressure on the club’s under-fire boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer

‘I am accountable for my performance, it wasn’t good enough. I am not here to speak about the team, we know we can be better but for me I also need to be better than I was today.

‘That’s why I have come here, speaking to you, and tell you how it is. It’s ourselves we need to look at first and foremost in the mirror. Are we doing everything right and preparing right for the games in ourselves? 

‘We have the tactics and how the manager wants us to play. At times, we’re too easy to play through against.

‘You look at the first goal, it can’t be possible that they can have three running through in the first five minutes. We need to be more compact, we need to be better.’

The result came just a few days after United came from 2-0 down against Atalanta to win 3-2 at Old Trafford, with Cristiano Ronaldo netting yet another winner.

Shaw got in a muddle with Harry Maguire in the build-up to Diogo Jota's goal 13 minutes in

Shaw got in a muddle with Harry Maguire in the build-up to Diogo Jota’s goal 13 minutes in

The Portuguese repeated the heroics against Villarreal last month in midweek against the Italian side, but Shaw hinted the dressing room knew they had not been at their best in those games.

‘This result was coming,’ Shaw added. ‘In past games where we’ve won, we haven’t been at our best. We felt that inside the dressing room and today we have to reflect and we have to move on from this because it hurts.

‘I think we all know when we’re at our best we’re capable of playing well. It’s not just a team, it’s individuals who are not at their best. Me, myself, I’m not. I need to look at myself, see what I’m doing wrong and focus on that.

‘At times in the game, we’re far too easy to play through against, not just today but it’s been a number of games now where it’s been happening bit by bit and we can feel that in each game. 

‘It happened today and, against a great team like Liverpool, they’re going to punish us and they did.’

But Shaw insists his side are 'too easy to play through' and said their performances must be scrutinised first

But Shaw insists his side are ‘too easy to play through’ and said their performances must be scrutinised first 

Shaw’s comments – which came as Cristiano Ronaldo issued a rallying cry to his team-mates on social media following their humbling loss – however have done little to end the speculation surrounding Solskjaer’s future in the Old Trafford hotseat.

The Norwegian has been instilled as the bookmakers’ favourite to be the next Premier League manager to be sacked, moving into the 1/6 favourite by Betfair to be given his marching orders next.

But if he is replaced, former United right-back Gary Neville has urged the club not to bring in former Chelsea and Inter Milan boss Antonio Conte.

The Sky Sports pundit believes the Italian – who won the Premier League with the Blues and Serie A with Inter last season – is ‘not the right fit’. 

Shaw insists their comeback victories against Atalanta meant a result like this 'was coming'

Shaw insists their comeback victories against Atalanta meant a result like this ‘was coming’

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