Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer labelled Sunday’s 5-0 hammering at home to Liverpool the “darkest day” he has had as manager of the club but said he had no intention of quitting.

United were 4-0 down at half-time after woeful defending against the deadly Liverpool attack, led by hat-trick hero Mohamed Salah.

“It is not easy to say something apart from it is the darkest day I have had leading these players,” said the Norwegian manager who took over at the club in December 2018.

“We were not good enough individually and as a team, can’t give a team like Liverpool those chances but unfortunately we did. The whole performance was not good enough. We created openings, they had chances and they have been clinical. The third goal decided the game,” he added.

“You can look at last season, we lose to Spurs (Tottenham Hotspur) 6-1 — this is worse, miles worse. This is miles worse for me as a Manchester lad. I’ve just got to say we have to get over this as quickly as we can.”

United are without a win in their last four games and are now eight points behind leaders Chelsea, a position which will increase the calls from some quarters for a change of manager.

But Solskjaer, whose winning goal gave United the Champions League trophy in the 1999 final against Bayern Munich, said there was no question of him throwing in the towel. “I have come too far, we have come too far as a group. We are too close to give up now,” he said.

CR7 feels for fans

Cristiano Ronaldo blamed the team for the rout and said fans deserve better.

“Sometimes the result is not the one we fight for. Sometimes the score is not the one we want. And this is on us, only on us, because there’s no one else to blame,” Ronaldo, who returned to United in the summer for his second spell, said on Instagram.

“Our fans were, once again, amazing in their constant support. They deserve better than this, much better, and it’s up to us to deliver. The time is now!”

Defender Luke Shaw, who made a series of defensive errors alongside captain Harry Maguire, echoed Ronaldo.

“We are extremely disappointed, it is not good enough and it hurts a lot,” Shaw told the club website.

“I think football is obviously a team sport, we are in it together and we are all together.”

‘Insane’ result

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp described the result as “insane”.

“What we did in the last third was insane. Pressing high, winning balls, scored wonderful goals,” he said.

“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,” added the German.

“Five-nil, I couldn’t be happier, it is exceptional. Absolutely outstanding,” he said.