Manchester United parted company with the former Inter Milan and Chelsea chief earlier today.
The decision to relieve the Portuguese of his duties as manager came less than two days after United suffered a 3-1 defeat to their bitter rivals Liverpool, a setback which has left the club a staggering 19 points off top spot.
Mourinho leaves United having won the Europa League and League Cup and guiding United to a second-placed finish in the 2017/18 season.
United’s decision to give Mourinho his marching orders came as a huge surprise to many, who believed the 55-year-old would be given until the end of the season to turn things around.
Sharpe isn’t part of that group and believes The Special One’s negative comments over the last few months created a ‘toxic’ atmosphere that needed to change.
“It doesn’t really surprise me,” the former Manchester United midfielder told talkSPORT.
“I thought they were going to wait until the end of the season, but things have become a little bit toxic and the performances have not improved.
“Mourinho has looked like a man who didn’t want to be in the job, he hasn’t enjoyed himself this season and he had to be shown the door.
“I think the dressing room will be half-and-half.
"Bye guys." 👋
This was the moment Jose Mourinho departed from the Lowry Hotel after being sacked as Manchester United manager. pic.twitter.com/dCTdqMEEM5
— Man United News (@ManUtdMEN) December 18, 2018
“Some of the players probably like him and are a bit gutted he’s gone, but other players who have not got on with him and have had ruckuses with him are probably glad to see the back of him.
“I don’t think Mourinho is the best manager in the world to play for.
“he likes to kill games before he likes to go out and win them.
He’s slated a number of players in public, so there are probably more who are pleased to see him go than not.”
Former Liverpool defender Graeme Souness agrees with Sharpe’s assessment, telling Sky Sports: “No, don’t think so (He can have complaints) – with the money he has spent, how the players are playing at the present time.
“I saw at Bournemouth a man who didn’t want to be there.”
United’s first game of the post-Mourinho era will be on Saturday afternoon they travel to south Wales to take on Cardiff City.