Liverpool destroy shambolic Manchester United as Solskjaer sinks to historic low

Sensational Salah scores hat-trick in 5-0 battering at Old Trafford and serious questions will now be asked of the United manager's future

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks on from the touchline during the 5-0 defeat to Liverpool at Old Trafford on Sunday October 24, 2021. AP

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer gestures on the touchline. AP

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Liverpool counterpart Jurgen Klopp. AFP

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer looks on. AFP

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer leaves the field at half time. AP Photo

Liverpool hat-trick scorer Mohamed Salah celebrates with the match ball after the final whistle. AP

Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United holds off Mohamed Salah of Liverpool. Getty Images

Liverpool's Egyptian forward Mohamed Salah celebrates with teammates after scoring their fifth goal. AP

Mohamed Salah of Liverpool scores their side's fifth goal past David De Gea of Manchester United. Getty Images

Mohamed Salah of Liverpool celebrates after scoring their side's third goal with Naby Keita. Getty Images

Mohamed Salah of Liverpool scores their side's third goal past David De Gea of Manchester United. Getty Images

Cristiano Ronaldo of Manchester United. Getty Images

Mohamed Salah of Liverpool battles for possession with Scott McTominay of Manchester United. Getty Images

Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo looks dejected after Liverpool's Mohamed Salah scores their third goal. Reuters

Naby Keita of Liverpool is stretchered off following a challenge by Paul Pogba of Manchester United (not pictured) leading to a red card. Reuters

Naby Keita of Liverpool receives medical treatment following a challenge by Paul Pogba of Manchester United. Getty Images

Paul Pogba of Manchester United looks dejected after being shown a red card by referee Anthony Taylor. Getty Images

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is indelibly associated with perhaps the greatest day in Manchester United’s history. Sadly for him, he is now a byword for a historic low.

As Liverpool got their biggest ever win at Old Trafford, Jurgen Klopp could celebrate the latest in a series of extraordinary scorelines he has overseen and a rampant Mohamed Salah pressed his case to be recognised as the world’s finest footballer with a hat-trick, United were a pathetic excuse for a team.

This was a humiliation and an embarrassment, the sort that will hurt the United fan in the beleaguered Solskjaer. Saturday was the 10th anniversary of the 6-1 defeat to Manchester City, but that featured three late goals. This was the first time United had ever been 4-0 down at half-time in the Premier League.

It was Solskjaer’s worst day: worse than Young Boys of Bern or Istanbul Basaksehir or Sheffield United or losing 6-1 to Jose Mourinho’s Tottenham. It was a game to flag up the question if he can possibly be allowed to continue. As Klopp continued to illustrate the difference a high-class manager can make, Solskjaer has never looked so out of his depth.

His back four cost £190 million ($261.5m) and were a shambles. The entire team were a rabble. A couple of the supposed superstars of a club increasingly defined by big names were a disgrace, too. Paul Pogba came and went in 15 minutes, the substitute sent off. Booked for a lunge at Naby Keita, it was upgraded to a red card when Anthony Taylor reviewed it on the monitor.

Another of United’s superstars should have exited in ignominious fashion before then. Cristiano Ronaldo escaped with a caution for a malicious kick at Curtis Jones; the officials exacted a different form of punishment when Ronaldo thought he had scored, only for VAR to chalk the goal off.

Player ratings

MANCHESTER UNITED RATINGS: David de Gea 4 - Conceded now in 13 consecutive home games for United – not that he could do much about the five which past him. A chocolate fireguard would have offered more protection. Good save from Alexander Arnold after 70. EPA

Aaron Wan-Bissaka 3 - Left his man to try and retrieve the ball before Liverpool’s opener. Didn’t. And from there things got even worse. Booked – one of seven United players to get a card on a day of frustration. EPA

Victor Lindelof 3 - Another in the wrong position for the opener for the most jittery start from United. Ball bounced off him before Liverpool’s third. Booed off at half time with the rest of his teammates by a support who otherwise sang until the end. No wonder several of the players apologised. EPA

Harry Maguire 2 - Adrift as Liverpool cut United’s defence open from the start and tangled with Shaw for the second as Liverpool went 2-0 up after 13. Things got even worse and he’s having an awful time of it. Booked. Getty

Luke Shaw 3 - Stranded for Liverpool’s opener. Shot wide from distance after 21, but, like the rest of the defenders, he was all over the place as a far superior Liverpool passed the ball around them. EPA

Fred 3 - Lovely ball to Ronaldo after three minutes. And that was the highlight as his side were thrashed. Booked. Not even fair to compare him to someone as influential as Jordan Henderson today. Had little time on the ball against a side who never stopped hunting the ball down. EPA

Scott McTominay 3 - Ran back to dispossess Salah after eight minutes. Does he really want to be reminded of anything after that as Liverpool completely dominated? Headed ball down to set up Cavani after 83. The game was so far gone, there was barely a reaction when the ball went in the net. EPA

Bruno Fernandes 3 - Skied a third minute shot over. Wasted. Often frustrated, too often argumentative. Booked for this on an afternoon which became deeply embarrassing for the home team. AP

Mason Greenwood 4 - Was up for it from the start, intercepting a Liverpool attack. Then they scored twice. Shot tested Alisson after 28, but what else can you say about a player on a side which was 4-0 down at half-time for the first time in 31 years? AP

Marcus Rashford 3 - Lively start and got away from Kieta to shoot wide from 25 yards. But lost in the hideous muddle which developed and for which no words can make up. EPA

Cristiano Ronaldo 3 - Another who skied a shot early on. Put the ball in the net after 53 with a superb shot, but it was offside. Booked. He’s hugely frustrated – and hugely influential. And that could be a blessing and a curse for United. AP

SUBS: Paul Pogba 2 - On for Greenwood at HT. Dived in for a challenge with Keita on 58 and was sent off. He should have known far better. AP

Edinson Cavani 3 - On for Fernandes after 61 as Liverpool fans sang ‘Ole’s at the wheel’ and ‘Ole give us a wave.’ It was that bad. A deflected shot hit the crossbar after 83. EPA

Diogo Dalot 3 - On for Rashford after 61 as Liverpool fans chanted ‘Ole must stay’ while the speculation about United’s manager skyrocketed. AP

LIVERPOOL RATINGS: Alisson Becker 8 - The Brazilian foiled Greenwood and Ronaldo in the first half and was a model of composure. He distributed the ball with his usual aplomb. Getty

Trent Alexander-Arnold 8 - The 22-year-old was supposed to be the target for Ronaldo and Rashford but was comfortable throughout. He ranged forward at will and supplied the cross for Jota’s goal. Getty

Ibrahima Konate 8 - The Frenchman got sucked into midfield and went to ground early on but he soon found his feet. He was excellent in the air and strong on the ground. EPA

Virgil van Dijk 8 - The Dutchman was completely at ease. He oozed class. It is hard to believe that Maguire was a more expensive signing. EPA

Andrew Robertson 8 - The Scot’s passing was a little inconsistent but he worked the line well. He made himself available as an outlet ball and got better as the game went on. Getty

Jordan Henderson 8 - The captain was efficient in possession and adapted nicely to the defensive midfield role. His pass for Salah’s hat-trick was splendid. Getty

James Milner 7 - The 35-year-old limped off injured after 27 minutes but his workrate and appetite were illustrated when he was queuing at the back post behind Jota for a chance to score the second goal. Reuters

Naby Keita 9 - This was the 26-year-old’s best game for the club. He scored, helped set up two goals and broke up United attacks. He was carried off in the 64th minute after a horrible challenge by Pogba. Getty

Mohamed Salah 10 - The Egyptian’s pass for the opening goal was wonderful but what followed was exceptional. He tormented United and was rewarded with a hat-trick. AFP

Roberto Firmino 8 - The Brazilian’s movement and intelligence bemused the defence. He helped create the fourth goal before being replaced by Mane in the 77th minute. EPA

Diogo Jota 8 - The Portuguese caused havoc down the left. He scored the second goal and set up another for Salah. Getty

SUBS: Curtis Jones 7 - The 20-year-old replaced Milner in the 27th minute and was given some rough treatment by Ronaldo and Fernandes but never let it affect his game. Getty

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain 7 - The 28-year-old joined the action in the 64th minute when Keita was injured. He was effective on and off the ball as Liverpool cruised towards the final whistle. AFP

Sadio Mane 6 - The Senegalese was introduced for Firmino with 13 minutes left. He was desperate to score and was perhaps a little too greedy. Reuters

The loss of Keita, stretchered off after a superb display, and James Milner mean Liverpool now have five injured midfielders and were the only blots on a near-perfect day for Klopp. Liverpool were outstanding. Salah can seem to reach new heights by the week and he became the first visiting player to get a hat-trick at Old Trafford since the Brazilian Ronaldo in 2003. He tormented Luke Shaw, making one of Euro 2020’s best left-backs look like an amateur.

He is creator as well as scorer and the pivotal goal featured a Salah assist. After Bruno Fernandes blazed over when Liverpool’s defence were dragged over to their right, Liverpool produced a similar move that a different finish. Each of Liverpool’s front three was involved before a midfielder scored. Salah fed the overlapping Keita. He slotted a shot past David de Gea for a second fine goal in a week, following his spectacular strike against Atletico Madrid.

The second came courtesy of catastrophic defending. Harry Maguire and Shaw confused each other as neither got the ball. Trent Alexander-Arnold did instead, delivering the low centre that Diogo Jota converted; had he not scored, a similarly unmarked Milner was waiting to apply the finishing touch, but Klopp got a reward for preferring the Portuguese to Sadio Mane.

Then Salah took over. He provided an emphatic finish from Keita’s low centre to overtake Didier Drogba and become the highest-scoring African in Premier League history. He sidefooted in the fourth after a pass from Jota.

His hat-trick was prodded in after accelerating on to Jordan Henderson’s lovely pass. Pogba had lost the ball in the centre circle, his first notable contribution after coming on; bizarrely, Solskjaer had substituted Mason Greenwood, United’s brightest attacker in the first half, to replace him with the Frenchman.

In the stands, Alex Ferguson shook his head, stone-faced while Kenny Dalglish beamed with glee. Liverpool’s greatest player had much to savour; Firmino was irrepressible and irresistible, albeit aided by United’s inability to track anyone. Salah was electric and exceptional.

The surprise selection Ibrahima Konate excelled in defence. Liverpool eased up in the final half-hour, perhaps showing sympathy to Solskjaer. Their fans showed no such mercy. They taunted the United manager with taunts of “Ole’s at the wheel.” But for how much longer?