Mourinho sacked - as it happened: Manchester United manager leaves club with immediate effect

Interesting how these things work....

Breaking: ESPN are reporting that Jose Mourinho's Manchester United payoff was £15m. 

Rangers boss Steven Gerrard, who came close to signing for Mourinho's Chelsea during his Liverpool playing days, added: "It's big news but it's none of my business.

"He's obviously a world-class manager. He's been a rival for many, many years when I played.

"He's a winner, isn't he? I mean, how can I sit here and say anything about Jose Mourinho? He's a serial winner, he always has been everywhere he's gone. He's been sacked at United but he's won them a couple of trophies.

"He's done the best job since Alex Ferguson's left. It seemed they sort of struggled before that but Jose came in and put a couple of trophies in the cabinet, so I don't think you can criticise him too much.

"It will be interesting to see which direction they go in now with the new manager but none of the Manchester United fans will care what I say about it, so it's none of my business."

What a wild day.

Here's Miguel Delaney with a must-read deep dive breaking it all down and why this was inevitable from the very start.

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp still thinks highly of Mourinho as a manager despite his troubles at United.

"He is a competitive guy, very ambitious. I can imagine the last few months were not a joy. It is not nice to face all those questions," the German said.

"But nobody can take away all the things he has won. I hope he has that on his mind as he leaves. He is an outstanding manager."

Jamie Carragher says he felt this moment had been coming since the summer.

"You have to go back to the start of the season, I thought it was inevitable Jose Mourinho wouldn't be the manager the following season," the former Liverpool defender said on Sky Sports News.

"There's been a lot of problems between him and the board and with his big-name players within the squad, there was a massive downturn in the relationship that was there for all to see.

"Taking the captaincy off Pogba, giving it to him in the first place, it all just looked like it was coming to an end and that was before a ball was even kicked."

While Mourinho's unhappiness with the club's summer transfer dealings was clear, Carragher said the issue could be overplayed.

"There's no doubt a lot will be made of the fact he wanted a centre-back in the summer, but I don't think a whole regime should fall down because you miss out on one player," Carragher added.

"There's managers in the past who have missed out on players. Pep Guardiola missed out on (Alexis) Sanchez when Mourinho got him in February, Sir Alex Ferguson missed out on (Alan) Shearer, Paul Gascoigne, you have to move on and look at a different options. That is part of management."

Andrew Cole, who scored 93 goals for United between 1995 and 2001, wrote on 

Twitter: "I would personally like to wish Jose all the best in the future... let's stay United as a club & keep the focus on the pitch until end of the season! ManUtd." 

Former Manchester United players Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Laurent Blanc have been contacted by the Manchester United hierarchy about taking the job as stand-in manager, as the club seek to appoint someone "familiar with the traditions of the club" to succeed Jose Mourinho.

The Portuguese was sacked on Tuesday morning after the Old Trafford hierarchy felt too many problems with his reign had come to a head, particularly bad relationships with the playing squad and officials.

The United board were also concerned about yet another highly conservative approach at Anfield , with the nature of the 3-1 defeat leading them to end Mourinho's time at the club, and seek to bring in someone who would restore a sense of positivity.

While Mauricio Pochettino is the primary long-term target, he is seen as impossible until the summer. United want to bring in someone familiar with the club until then, and Solskjaer and Blanc are currently the main candidates.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's club, Molde FK, have declined to comment on reports linking the former Manchester United striker with a return to the Old Trafford club as coach. 

Solskjaer and former teammate Laurent Blanc have both been contacted about taking over at United until the end of the season while Ed Woodward contemplates his next move, likely a strong approach for Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino.