Manchester United have sacked manager Jose Mourinho after Sunday’s defeat to Liverpool left them languishing 11 points off the top four.
Second-half goals from Xherdan Shaqiri hammered the final nail into Mourinho’s coffin as the Red Devils slumped to a fifth defeat of the season from just 17 league matches.
Struggling to understand why Zidane is odds on to be the next @ManUtd manager.
He’s out of work & is available now. If he’s first choice & wanted it he’d be appointed ASAP surely?
The fact they are waiting until the summer indicates they want someone who’s in work at the minute— Darren Fletcher (@DFletcherSport) December 18, 2018
A statement from United on Tuesday morning said: “The club would like to thank Jose for his work during his time at Manchester United and to wish him success in the future.
Zidane, Simeone, Pochettino?
We asked #mufc fans a couple of weekd ago who could replace Mourinho if he left?
Here is what they said: https://t.co/OjoBV0Q2l3 pic.twitter.com/J1ume0xGwT
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) December 18, 2018
“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.”
Despite navigating United through their Champions League group, Mourinho failed to build on last season’s second-place finish as the club’s hopes of finishing in the top four all-but evaporated before Christmas.
Jose Mourinho’s time as Manchester United manager has come to an end and we look at the main contenders to replace him at Old Trafford.
The writing has been on the wall for some time now and, following a lifeless weekend defeat to bitter rivals Liverpool, Ed Woodward and the United hierarchy have acted by relieving him of his duties.
With the latest odds, we take a look at the top candidates to replace Mourinho in the dug-out at Old Trafford.
This may seem a strange on to be be so short in the betting, but the market terms with Sky Bet state: ‘Caretaker and interim managers completing at least 10 competitive games will be deemed the permanent manager.’
Carrick only hung up his boots at the end of last season and the 37-year-old joined Mourinho’s coaching staff, often seen beside the Portuguese in the dugout, so he is pretty inexperienced on the touchline and training ground.
Carrick will now be ‘acting interim manager’ until a full replacement is found and, should United learn their top target is unavailable until the summer, the former England midfielder could end up seeing out the season at the helm.
A disappointing shootout defeat in the League Cup to Championship Derby at Old Trafford ended another avenue of silverware for Mourinho.
It prematurely ends a project which started brightly for Mourinho, who won the EFL Cup and Europa League during his first campaign at the club, the 2016-17 season.
His side then posed the greatest challenge to Pep Guardiola’s Centurions last term, but the failure to adequately improve the squad in the summer ultimately cost Mourinho his job.