JOSE OUT, POCH IN?
Mourinho sacked on tumultuous day United will today name Solskjaer as caretaker Club have already made moves to lure Poch from Spurs He’s keen but United may have to pay £40m
MANCHESTER UNITED will today name Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as caretaker manager to replace Jose Mourinho but are already planning to put Mauricio Pochettino in charge next summer.
Old Trafford legend Solskjaer, 45, will be assisted by Alex Ferguson’s former No 2 Mike Phelan for the rest of the season.
Tottenham boss Pochettino remains the club’s long-term target and United sources have been aware for some time of his desire to take the job. The Argentine was Ferguson’s preferred choice when Mourinho was appointed in 2016, and United have already made the first moves to lure him from Spurs. However, they will face fierce opposition from Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy, a notoriously tough negotiator who signed Pochettino to a five-year contract in May.
There is no escape clause in the deal, meaning United may have to pay up to £40million to get their man.
They could also face competition from Real Madrid, who were ready to offer the former Espanyol boss the job at the Bernabeu last summer and could do so
JOSE MOURINHO knew his reign as Manchester United manager was coming to an end within hours of the final whistle at Anfield on Sunday evening.
United’s capitulation to bitter enemies Liverpool was the final straw for the Old Trafford hierarchy and Mourinho knew it. The 55-year-old told close friends that the axe was about to fall as he returned to London to spend time with his family.
While Mourinho was away and the players were given a day off, United Ed Woodward executive vice-chairman called a board meeting at the club’s Carrington training ground on Monday.
It was there that the decision was formally taken to relieve Mourinho of his duties after two-and-a-half years in charge and install a caretaker for the rest of the season before making a move for Mauricio Pochettino next summer.
A combination of poor results, a dreary style of football and an unhappy environment created by Mourinho’s confrontational style of management had left Woodward with little choice, as much as he didn’t want to sack a third manager in less than five years.
The Portuguese coach’s unwillingness to work with a director of football and constant sniping about the lack of investment were also factors in the decision.
Woodward and the Glazer family had grown tired of hearing Mourinho moan about lack of support when 11 players costing more than £350million had been bought for him.
There was also the breakdown in Mourinho’s relationship with most of the squad to consider, a rift that left him an isolated figure in his final months.
Few of the players are sad to see him go and messages were exchanged on a WhatsApp group yesterday once news of his departure broke, with the reaction said to be ‘bordering on jubilation’.
Mourinho had simply fallen out with too many of his stars. His employers couldn’t stand by any longer and see record signing Paul Pogba and Anthony Martial on the bench at Anfield while United sank to a 3-1 defeat.
There is a genuine feeling that the club would have struggled to convince Martial and David de Gea to sign new contracts had Mourinho stayed in charge.
Martial was said to be beaming yesterday. De Gea had a slightly better relationship with Mourinho, but wants to see genuine signs of progress before committing to a new deal.
The rest of the squad — with the exception of Nemanja Matic, Marouane Fellaini and possibly a couple more — are just glad to be free of the oppressive nature of the Mourinho regime. When Luke Shaw claimed publicly before the Champions League tie against Young Boys last month that he ‘kind of enjoyed’ the manager’s tough love, the England defender fully expected the ridicule of his team-mates that greeted him when he returned to camp.
Shaw, who suffered more than most under Mourinho and was frozen out again in the last two games after withdrawing from the win over Fulham with a back spasm, could hardly hide his delight yesterday as he greeted photographers at Carrington with a thumbs-up.
Pogba, meanwhile, made no secret of his contempt for the departing manager by posting on Instagram before he was even out of the door.
The midfielder had upset Mourinho one last time with his birthday video message for Jesse Lingard at Carrington on Saturday. Mourinho confronted club doctor Steve McNally, a man he had largely ignored for much of his time at United, on the team bus to Liverpool and accused one of his medical staff of filming Pogba in the inner sanctum of the dressing-room area, contravening club rules.
He was confrontational to the end.
Woodward wanted a happier workplace under someone who knew the United culture and could put a swagger back in the club’s step.
The United chief spent Monday night at Leigh Sports Village watching the first half as United Under 18s beat Chelsea 4-3 in the FA Youth Cup. He arrived at Carrington at 7am yesterday with head of human resources Anthony Lawler, ready to sack Mourinho, who was driven through the gates two hours later looking unshaven on his return from London.
He went straight to see Woodward and was told that his contract, due to run until 2020, was being terminated with immediate effect.
United announced the news in a 65-word statement at 9.46am, so many players arriving for training from 10am heard it first on the radio.
At 10.30am they were summoned to a meeting with Woodward, who confirmed the club decision, while hundreds of other staff were informed by email at the same time.
Mourinho had returned to his office with some boxes to clear his desk and gave some of his belongings to two kit men to drive down to London.
He thanked staff for their support and gave bottles of wine to a couple of women in the canteen as a Christmas gift.
However, it is understood that he did not speak to the players who trained under the supervision of assistant coaches Michael Carrick and Kieran McKenna.
The rest of his coaching team
remained at Carrington until 2.30pm to eat in the canteen and say their farewells, hugging players before they went.
A now clean-shaven Mourinho was driven away from Carrington at 12.30pm and returned to the Lowry hotel, where he has stayed in a suite for the duration of his time at United. He had a light lunch and packed his bags before saying goodbye to hotel staff.
He has been criticised for not settling in the area during his time at United, and the message that sent out, but Mourinho never saw the point of joining his players in the Cheshire countryside when all his needs were catered for at the luxury hotel.
It will not be the only place in Manchester with a vacancy this morning. United are expected to fill theirs swiftly with the appointment of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Mike Phelan as a caretaker team.
Woodward can only hope it will be the beginning of a return to the glory days.