Following is reaction to the sacking of Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho, who was dismissed by the Premier League club Tuesday.
FORMER UNITED CAPTAIN GARY NEVILLE
“I’ve been fortunate to spend time at Tottenham’s training ground, and for me he (Mauricio Pochettino) feels like the ideal candidate. United have tried managers who have won European cups, they’ve tried managers who have won multiple leagues.
“My view is they need someone who meets the three key principles of the football club, and that is promotion of youth, entertaining football, and to win football matches.”
FORMER ENGLAND INTERNATIONAL GARY LINEKER
“With United 19 points behind Liverpool after 17 games, with the vast majority of players playing way below their best… and dour football to boot.
“Given Mourinho was allowed to spend hundreds of millions on those players, the split seemed inevitable.
“Would imagine one of the main reasons for sacking Mourinho now would be to stop the attempted mass exodus of their best players next month.”
FORMER LIVERPOOL BOSS GRAEME SOUNESS
“I think he (Mourinho) would have known this was coming. I’m not surprised… with the money he has spent and how the players are playing at this present moment in time… I said on Sunday, I couldn’t see any light at the end of the tunnel for them.
“I was at Bournemouth two weeks ago. I’m a season ticket holder there. My season ticket is 10 rows behind the dugout and I saw a man who didn’t want to be there.”
FORMER UNITED FORWARD BRIAN MCCLAIR
“He is not the only one who should depart.”
FORMER ENGLAND STRIKER MICHAEL OWEN
“Inevitable is the word I’d use. Mourinho had to go in the end. Simply not getting anywhere near enough out of his players.”
FORMER LIVERPOOL MIDFIELDER JAMIE REDKNAPP
“If you were looking to go to a club and do everything wrong and get the sack, you would do what he’s done.
“He stayed in a hotel… as a manager you shouldn’t be going to a hotel every day because it sends the wrong message.
“The style of play wasn’t right, United fans want to see their team play with flair. Falling out with the players and the board. It’s been inevitable since the Brighton game, everything was wrong.
FORMER UNITED DEFENDER PATRICE EVRA
“The thing that is annoying me the most right now is why are people so focused on Paul Pogba and Jose Mourinho. Let’s focus on rebuilding something solid instead of being in a playground. Doing this is only disrespecting the badge, from now we only need positivity.”
REUTERS
