Man Utd's next three fixtures that will decide Solskjaer's fate as manager

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer could have just three games left to determine his fate as Manchester United manager for the long-term.

The Norwegian is facing mounting scrutiny over his future as United boss after overseeing a particularly dismal run of form that came to a head on Sunday evening.

United suffered one of the most humiliating defeats in their recent history after they were dismantled by a rampant Liverpool side that put five past them with no reply.

Jurgen Klopp's side were 4-0 up before the half-time whistle, the first team to go into the interval boasting such a lead at Old Trafford in Premier League history.

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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer watched on helplessly as his Man Utd side were beaten by a rampant Liverpool ( Image:

PETER POWELL/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Things aren't expected to get much easier for United in terms of upcoming fixtures as their next contest comes in the form of a trip to Tottenham Hotspur.

It is somewhat ironic that United's first chance to bounce back from such a crushing defeat comes against Spurs - a side that also demolished them by a five-goal deficit last term, a Jose Mourinho led Tottenham beating Solskjaer's side 6-1 at Old Trafford this time last year.

While Nuno Espirito Santo has hardly sparked any kind of revolution in north London, his sides can be notoriously difficult to beat - as he proved for three years in charge of Wolves.

Santo's Spurs have already taken one scalp from Manchester this season - toppling Pep Guardiola's Man City side on the opening day of the campaign with a 1-0 win.

Spurs sit one place above United in the table boasting a one-point advantage, presenting United with the chance to leapfrog them into the top six and potentially the top four with an away win at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium.

United's away form is notoriously good under Solskjaer - their first loss in 29 games on their travels came last week against Leicester City, while Spurs have already tasted defeat on their own turf this term to Chelsea.

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After Spurs, United make the trip to Italy to take on Serie A outfit Atalanta for the second time in as many weeks as part of their Champions League group stage campaign.

The first meeting saw United go 2-0 behind in the first half, before a Cristiano Ronaldo inspired comeback saw them take all three points against the run of play.

Atalanta had five first-team regulars missing for their visit to Manchester and still nearly pulled off a shock result - Solskjaer will have to be more vigilant to the threat they pose second time around.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will take on Pep Guardiola at Old Trafford once again next month ( Image:

Action Images via Reuters)

Following that contest is the small matter of a Manchester derby - Solskjaer welcoming Pep Guardiola and co to Old Trafford knowing anything less than a win will only increase the pressure around the club.

United are already six points behind their 'noisy nighbours' and are showing no signs of catching them anytime soon, as Guardiola's men are yet to experience defeat since the opening game.

Three wins from the aforementioned three fixtures seems the furthest thing from likely after Sunday's showing - but it may be the bare minimum required of Solskjaer if he is to salvage his position as Man Utd manager.