'United are no longer a football business' - readers react as Man Utd sack Jose Mourinho
Manchester United confirmed this morning that Jose Mourinho has departed the club after their worst ever start to a Premier League season.
A statement from Old Trafford 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."
Telegraph readers have been quick to reflect on Jose Mourinho’s two and half season spell at Old Trafford. While some have welcomed the departure others have suggested that Mourinho faced an impossible task and that the troubles at United extend far beyond the dugout.
What does this mean now for Jose Mourinho’s managerial legacy? And where does this leave Manchester United with the club now having had three different permanent managers in under six years?
Read on for a handful of the best reactions from Telegraph readers to Jose's departure and then have your say in the comment section below. To join the conversation, simply log in to your Telegraph account or register, for free, here.
@Danny Boy:
''Lesson number one : No Manager is bigger than the club.''
@The Cross of St George:
''Can't say I'm suprised. Literally fell asleep during the match. Fellaini, Matic and Herrera. Brilliant. I suppose Jose thought they could just play keep ball in the middle of the park and bore the opposition into submission.''
@Tim Waterhouse:
''Seemingly not so special.''
@Dave Wilkins:
''Had the owners done this in August, when it was obviously needed, MUFC would be in a much better position, in football and finance.''
@Kenneth Wheatley:
''Player power wins again. They had better step up to the line or show they are just not good enough; as Mourinho has often stated.''
@Ali Parker:
''Mourinho has won 3 trophies in 2 and a half years at Old Trafford. On average, this makes him the most successful Manchester Utd manager of all time.
''Bring Back the The Special One.''
@Mark Jackson:
''It doesn’t matter who the manager is because Utd is no longer a football business, it’s a marketing business whose product is Utd’s brand name. Its measures of success are commercial (revenues generated, market penetration, monies passed to the owners) rather than sporting (trophies won). As directors responsible for the club’s direction and control, Ferguson, Gill and Charlton are as much to blame as Woodward for Utd’s switch to being a commercial rather than football entity.''
@Roger Harris:
''I hope he never manages in England again. I'm not a Utd fan at all, my team are in league 1 but I really can't stand him.''
@Paul Atkinson:
''I’m a life long Liverpool fan. I’m sorry Utd have finally seen what the rest of us have known for ages. Since Ferguson retired Utd have gone backwards. Under Mourinho they have fallen behind even faster.''
@Dan Gaskin:
''I’m not a Man United fan but I often show my 12 year old lad videos of Paul Scholes and Roy Keane at the height of their powers. I do this to help him understand the midfield position.
''When I watch those videos, you have to admit that Utd were awesome and they have fallen a very long way from those days.''
Who will replace Jose Mourinho at Manchester United?
Attention now turns in earnest to the question of who will replace Mourinho as the next permanent Manchester United manager. We want to know your thoughts on who the Manchester United board should appoint as Jose's successor.
Michael Carrick is understood to be looking after affairs before the club appoint an external candidate in the next 24 to 48 hours who will take charge on a caretaker basis for the rest of the season.
The club have confirmed in a statement: "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.’’
Telegraph readers have given some early suggestions on who should now take over at Old Trafford:
@Chris Brinton:
''Ryan Giggs as caretaker, take time to pick a new manager who can build on existing squad, lets see a big club thinking over more than one season by not having to justify some over inflated transfer fee for a supposedly world class player.''
@Bo van Wijk
''LvG. He started building a team with Martial, Rashford, Lingard etc. Young super talents. The Ajax way. Only to be back stabbed out of his job by Mourinho. Bring him back and let him build the new young team and blend in experience.''
@John o Connor:
''How about Diego Simeone with David Beckham as his assistant.''
Take our poll below and let us know who you think should be the next Manchester United manager.
Where does this now leave Jose Mourinho? And who should Manchester United appoint next? Have your say by commenting below. To join the conversation, simply log in to your Telegraph account or register, for free, here.
