Manchester United have sacked Jose Mourinho as manager following Sunday’s loss to Liverpool. This ends a tenure that began in May 2016.
Mourinho was also relieved of his duties due to a transfer spend of around £400m on 11 players that, it is understood, the club insist were all the Portuguese’s choice.
Michael Carrick will take charge of training on Tuesday, before an interim boss is appointed. That move is expected to happen before the end of the week.
That caretaker role will last until the end of the season but this will not be Carrick, Nicky Butt or anyone from within the club. Instead, following a thorough and extensive process will have Mourinho’s permanent successor in place for next season.
A poor start to the Premier League season has seen United slip 19 points behind the leaders, Liverpool, and fall off the pace in the hunt for a top-four place. They have won only once in six league matches, drawing during that sequence with struggling Southampton and Crystal Palace.
A statement by the club said: “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.”
In two full seasons at Old Trafford, Mourinho won the Europa League and League Cup (2016-17) before finishing second in the Premier League last season and reaching the FA Cup final. In that period since replacing Louis van Gaal, United’s spending stands at £364.3m on eight buys.
