Mourinho sacked: What former United stars said after Liverpool loss

Manchester United’s 3-1 loss to Liverpool on Sunday proved to be the final straw for Jose Mourinho, yet former players disagreed over who was to blame for the club’s predicament.

United announced on Tuesday that Mourinho had left his post as manager, with the team sixth in the Premier League table and 19 points behind Liverpool after their defeat at Anfield.

Mourinho had claimed after the match that the best United could hope for was a fourth-placed finish and subsequent Champions League qualification.

After Mourinho’s exit, we round up what some of United’s former players had to say following the Liverpool loss.

Roy Keane

Ex-United captain Keane had argued that now was not the time to get rid of Mourinho.

“It’s hard to disagree that Jose is not getting the best out of his players. There’s more to it than that, though, it’s easy to look at the manager and get him out of the door,” he told Sky Sports.

1.62 – Manchester United averaged 1.62 goals per game in the Premier League under Jose Mourinho, less than they did under David Moyes (1.65). Chosen. pic.twitter.com/QOYvLPuXN7

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 18, 2018

“His CV warrants time, whether that be to the end of the season or another year. He certainly shouldn’t go before then.

“Mourinho is in a position now where they shouldn’t make a bad situation worse by persevering with these players. Manchester United bought players before when Alex Ferguson was there, and it hasn’t worked out. You move them on, that’s the name of the game.”

Gary Neville

One of Keane’s former team-mates Neville argued that Mourinho was on borrowed time, though.

“I’m sure Manchester United will change the manager at the end of the season at the latest,” he told Sky Sports.

“I’m pretty certain. We’re all pretty certain of that.

26 – Manchester United have picked up 26 points after their first 17 league games this season under Jose Mourinho; their worst points haul in the top-flight at this stage since 1990-91 (also 26 points). Dip. pic.twitter.com/I9iHo1uqVQ

— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) December 18, 2018

“Jose Mourinho, before that Newcastle game [in October], looked beaten. He looked like he’d had enough.”

Paul Ince

Ince, who played for both Manchester United and Liverpool, claimed Mourinho had lost the plot with the way he had set his side up at Anfield.

Liverpool had 36 shots on goal across the game, which was the most for a Premier League game in 2018-19.

“Jose Mourinho missed obvious mistakes against Liverpool, I’m not sure what he’s doing anymore,” Ince told Paddy Power.

“Where do I start with that Man United performance against Liverpool? The players were awful and the tactics were even worse.”

He added: “A resounding issue at the club is that there are far too many players who aren’t fit to wear the shirt. Something has got to give.”