• Ole Gunnar Solskjaer favourite to take job till end of season
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Manchester United hope to announce their caretaker manager on Tuesday after sacking
José Mourinho, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer the current favourite for the job.
Solskjaer is understood to be in discussions with the club regarding the temporary position, with United’s intention being that a permanent manager take over next summer.
The former United striker is in charge of Molde but because Norway’s domestic season finished in November he may be free to retain that role and take the post at United, though what would occur when Molde start their new campaign in March is unclear. Solskjaer had an unsuccessful Premier League stint with Cardiff in 2014.
Mourinho’s sacking followed Sunday’s defeat at Liverpool and ended a tenure that began in May 2016. United finally lost patience with a manager who was not adhering to the club’s core attacking values and who had overseen their worst start to a campaign for 28 years.
The club took into account Mourinho’s transfer spend of around £400m on 11 players who, it is understood, the club insist were all the Portuguese’s choice. In addition to the disquiet regarding the side’s stultifying style, there was further disappointment at Mourinho’s development and improvement of United’s younger players. The club also considered the growing unhappiness from fans at the direction of the club under him. It is understood the compensation due to Mourinho will be no more than £15m.
Mourinho is said to have been taken by surprise at his dismissal, having fully expected to continue for the game at Cardiff on Saturday. An indication of his mood was given when his confidant Eládio Paramés tweeted in Portuguese: “Moyes did not fit, Van Gaal did not fit, Mourinho did not fit. The only one that fits is Ed Woodward. Do you understand?” Mourinho is said to want to continue in club management.
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.
The club issued a statement on Tuesday morning which read: “Manchester United announces that manager José Mourinho has left the club with immediate effect.
“The club would like to thank José 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.