Klopp says 5-0 win is ‘insane’, Ole's future in serious doubt
Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp described their 5-0 thrashing of hosts Manchester United as "insane", as the pressure mounts on his counterpart Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Mohamed Salah scored a hat-trick for the Reds, extending his scoring record to 10 straight games in all competitions, after Naby Keita and Diogo Jota had put the Reds ahead.
But Klopp was full of praise for the whole of his attack, as the Reds raced to a 4-0 lead at half-time, the first time United had trailed by that margin in the English Premier League.
"What we did in the last third was insane. Pressing high, winning balls, scored wonderful goals," said Klopp. "The result is insane, I asked if there was one like this in history and if there isn't then it will take a while."
The Reds' win yesterday morning (Singapore time) was their biggest at Old Trafford.
"Five-nil, I couldn't be happier, it is exceptional. Absolutely outstanding," said Klopp.
"I have a few defeats in my mind which were not necessary but we won today, so we drink beer on the way home."
While the German was ecstatic, Solskjaer's future was left hanging by a thread.
The Norwegian took the job in December 2018 after United's 3-1 loss to Liverpool at Anfield left the Red Devils sixth in the table and resulted in the sacking of Jose Mourinho.
A run of one point from a possible 12 has Solskjaer's men down in seventh and already eight points off the title race after just nine games.
Manchester Evening News reported that the club's hierarchy are said to be "giving serious consideration to dismissing Solskjaer" before United's next game at Tottenham Hotspur this Sunday morning.
But Solskjaer has vowed to carry on the fight, saying: "I have come too far, we have come too far as a group. We are too close to give up now."
However, he admitted that United have hit "rock bottom" and it was "the darkest day" in his United stint after a record home defeat by their rivals.
Former United captain Gary Neville said the heavy defeat was unacceptable.
He has not been a vocal critic of Solskjaer, his former teammate. But even that shield for Solskjaer is now slipping as Neville questioned how much longer United can limp along without making a change.
Neville added that the 5-0 drubbing undermines the board's support for Solskjaer, saying: "This is sobering."
The Guardian reported yesterday that former Chelsea manager Antonio Conte would welcome talks with the Old Trafford hierarchy, but there are also question marks over his suitability for the job. - AFP, REUTERS
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