Manchester United chose to sack Jose Mourinho back in December with results on the pitch worsening.
The 56-year-old had lost most players in the Old Trafford dressing room – only Nemanja Matic and Romelu Lukaku were eager for him to stay – and the club were slipping further adrift of the top four.
Manchester United have since bounced back under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and will be hoping to beat Liverpool when the two teams lock horns on Sunday.
And the Daily Mail have now delved into Mourinho’s behaviour prior to his sacking.
Against Liverpool last time out, United were nothing short of shambolic.
A Xherdan Shaqiri brace and Sadio Mane strike made it a comfortable afternoon for the Merseyside giants.
After the game, Mourinho supposedly text close friends saying: “I’m done after this.”
However, he also said: “But I’m not quitting.”
Mourinho was bullish after the game, taking issue with a question pitched to him by Sky Sports presenter Geoff Shreeves.
Shreeves asked: “Do you think this squad are with you? Have you got the backing of the whole dressing room? Are they playing for you?”
And Mourinho snapped back by saying: “I believe they are honest and you believe they are dishonest.”
Meanwhile, current United boss Solskjaer is relishing his side’s showdown with Liverpool on Sunday.
The Red Devils will go into the match on a high having won 11 of their last 13 games across all competitions.
And Solskjaer had admitted the rivalry between the two teams means a lot for everybody involved.
“It means a lot,” he said.
“I’ve had good memories, bad memories and I’ve been a player and a supporter.
“As a player it means real focus and concentrate on your performance. When you’re a supporter it’s all emotion, you cannot wait for the game.
“Now I’m a manager, you’ve got to try and control the temperament of the players, the supporters, everything, which is fantastic.
“It’s the big game, the one you look forward to every year when the fixture list comes out.”