MANCHESTER (Reuters) - Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said his team's first half capitulation against Liverpool was like a boxer being punched out in the opening minutes of a bout and sought a strong response from them.

Solskjaer came under intense criticism following United's shocking 5-0 Premier League defeat by Liverpool last Sunday (Oct 24) - a game in which his team let in four goals in the first half to leave supporters at Old Trafford stunned.

"The performance wasn't acceptable. It felt like we were a boxer being punch drunk and knocked down in the first minutes, first round," Solskjaer told reporters ahead of Saturday's meeting with Tottenham Hotspur in London.

"You see Tyson Fury when he gets knocked down a couple of times, it's remarkable how calm and composed he is on the floor, counts to six, seven, eight and he gets up and goes again. We got up too early and tried to sort it."

Solskjaer, whose seventh-placed side are without a victory in four league matches and have conceded nine goals in their last two defeats, said that he was in touch with the United board but did not seek assurances about his job.

"When you have a performance and a spell like we've had, that's not what I ask for," Solskjaer added. "My job is to put things right and that's what I'm trying to do."