Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's time as Manchester United manager has come to an end.
Following Saturday's 4-1 loss at Watford, an announcement was issued less than 24 hours later that the two parties have parted ways, with the club penning an emotional statement via their official website.
"Manchester United announces that Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has left his role as manager," it reads. "Ole will always be a legend at Manchester United and it is with regret that we have reached this difficult decision.
While the past few weeks have been disappointing, they should not obscure all the work he has done over the past three years to rebuild the foundations for long-term success.
"Ole leaves with our sincerest thanks for his tireless efforts as Manager and our very best wishes for the future.
"His place in the club’s history will always be secure, not just for his story as a player, but as a great man and a Manager who gave us many great moments.
"He will forever be welcome back at Old Trafford as part of the Manchester United family."
Interestingly, United have also revealed that "Michael Carrick will now take charge of the team for forthcoming games, while the club looks to appoint an interim manager to the end of the season".
Those forthcoming games include a trip to Stamford Bridge to face Premier League leaders Chelsea before welcoming Arsenal to Old Trafford at the beginning of December.
And the decision to look for an interim manager until the end of the season just might work in United's favour.
The last time the Red Devils were in this position was December 2018 when they sacked Jose Mourinho following a 3-1 loss away at Liverpool.
A few days later marked the beginning of the Solskjaer era at the 'Theatre of Dreams' and it was the initial upturn of results that played a big role in him being named permanent manager a few months later.
Looking back on United's results from December 19 to March 28 (when Solskjaer got the job on a permanent basis) the decision-makers may be hoping for a repeat scenario.
In this period, the Red Devils lost just three times in 19 games across all competitions and this included beating Arsenal and winning at Stamford Bridge in the FA Cup.
It's often said that clubs get a new manager bounce, United have certainly benefitted from it in the past and could be set to do so again which would be bad news for Chelsea and the Gunners.
