Stunning news today that Manchester United have sacked Jose Mourinho after Sunday’s defeat at Liverpool left the club 11 points adrift of the Premier League top four.
Mourinho leaves departs Old Trafford after two and a half years with United sixth in the table and only one win in the league since Nov. 3.
He was informed of the decision at the club’s Carrington training ground on Tuesday morning, with executive vice chairman Ed Woodward delivering the news in person around 9:30 a.m.
According to reports Ed Woodward told Mourinho that he was being let go because the club were unhappy with a lack of progress in form, the style of play and the development of the club’s young players. Mourinho was completely surprised by the decision, sources said.
A statement issued on Tuesday morning read:
“Manchester United announces that manager Jose Mourinho has left the club with immediate effect. The club would like to thank Jose for his work during his time at Manchester United and to wish him success in the future.
“A new caretaker manager will be appointed until the end of the current season, while the club conducts a thorough recruitment process for a new, full-time manager.”
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Assistant Michael Carrick and academy chief Nicky Butt will take over in the interim, although there is no indication that the pair will be in charge for United’s next game against Cardiff on Saturday.
A caretaker manager will be appointed until the end of the current campaign with a permanent manager put in place ahead of next season. That appointment is likely to be from outside the club with former player Laurent Blanc one of the names discussed as possible candidates internally in recent weeks.
United have been difficult to watch under Mourinho but I am still surprised that he was sacked, especially with a run of very winnable games coming up over the holiday season.
Since the football brains at United let (Fergie and David Gill), Ed Woodward is now looking for his fourth manager and third interim manager in five years.
Under Woodward’s leadership United have went from being defending Premier League champions to fighting for sixth place.
In the meantime, United’s owners the Glazers took £89m out of the club in the last year: £18m in dividends, £56m made from a share sale and £13m in executives’ salaries.
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