Man United fans are planning show of appreciation for sacked manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with ’20LEGEND’ flag display on the Stretford End ahead of Arsenal game as new boss Ralf Rangnick waits for his work permit to be granted
- Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was sacked on November 21 after poor run of results
- A miserable 4-1 defeat at Watford proved the final act for the United manager
- But fans want to show their appreciation for club legend with flag display
- Huge ’20LEGEND’ surfer flag will be on the Stretford End before Arsenal game
- It comes as new boss Ralf Rangnick waits for his work permit to be granted
Manchester United fans will show their appreciation to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with a flag display ahead of Thursday night’s match against Arsenal at Old Trafford.
Solskjaer was sacked on November 21 after almost three years in charge and in the wake of a terrible run of five defeats from seven Premier League games.
But the Stretford End will pay tribute to the club legend with a huge surfer flag that reads ’20LEGEND’ ahead of the first home game since his dismissal.
Manchester United fans are planning to show their appreciation for sacked manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer by displaying a huge ’20LEGEND’ flag on the Stretford End
The giant surfer flag will be displayed ahead of Thursday night’s fixture against Arsenal
Fan group Stretford End Flags wrote on Twitter: ‘And while we welcome a new manager to Old Trafford we will pay tribute to the departing one on Thursday.
‘Ole was a legendary player and he progressed the club as a manager. We never got to thank him properly, so we will put the 20LEGEND surfer flag out on the Stretford End.’
Caretaker boss Michael Carrick will take charge of his third match with new interim manager Ralf Rangnick still waiting for his visa to be finalised.
The German must convince an FA panel of his managerial credentials in order to secure a work permit because he hasn’t managed a top-flight club in Europe for long enough in the last five years to meet criteria for a Governing Body Endorsement (GBE).
Managers must have done two years consecutively at a club or three years cumulatively to qualify.
Solskjaer was fired on November 21 in the wake of a 4-1 defeat at Watford, the latest dreadful result in a run of five losses from seven Premier League games
Caretaker boss Michael Carrick will remain in charge for Arsenal clash on Thursday night
Rangnick managed RB Leipzig in the 2015-16 and 2018-19 seasons while also working as the club’s director of football but that isn’t enough to automatically qualify.
The 63-year-old flew into the UK on Monday night ahead of stricter Covid restrictions coming into effect and is believed to be staying at a Manchester hotel.
He is expected to attend Thursday’s game at Old Trafford but Carrick will be in the dug-out. United remain optimistic Rangnick’s paperwork will be finalised to take charge of Sunday’s home fixture with Crystal Palace.
A club statement said: ‘Michael Carrick will remain in caretaker charge for the game against Arsenal on Thursday.
‘Ralf Rangnick was announced as interim manager on Monday but, while then club follows the regulatory process around a work visa, Carrick will continue at the helm.’
Ralf Rangnick must convince the FA of his managerial credentials to secure a work permit
Solskjaer’s legendary status in the eyes of United fans is assured despite the disappointing end to his managerial tenure, which saw a 5-0 defeat to Liverpool and a 2-0 loss to Manchester City before a 4-1 defeat at Watford proved the final straw.
The Norwegian former striker scored 126 goals in 366 matches for United, winning six Premier League titles and scoring the dramatic stoppage-time winner to clinch the Treble in the 1999 Champions League final.
His up and down tenure as United boss ended with fans angrily turning on him and the team at Vicarage Road but supporters want to show their appreciation for everything he has done for the club as player and coach.
