Andy Gray has reacted to Manchester United’s sacking of manager Jose Mourinho on Tuesday, calling the Portuguese’s time at the club a “disaster”.
Mourinho was relieved of his duties having overseen United’s worst start to a season since 1990-91, and Gray believes the decision was inevitable.
“It hasn’t worked out. It’s been pretty much a disaster, and I think United had to do something,” he told beIN SPORTS. “If they’re not going to back him, and I don’t think they were, then why keep him?
“This club is surrounded in gloom, for me. I bet you the training ground is not a happy place. Why maintain that? Why continue that gloom for another five months when you don’t have to?”
Was it the right decision to sack Jose? And was the timing right?#beINPL #MUFC #Mourinho pic.twitter.com/0C5w9L0Qbl
— beIN SPORTS (@beINSPORTS_EN) December 18, 2018
OPINION
Gray makes a decent point, here. There’s no real reason for United to continue with the sad state of affairs that they currently have with Mourinho because clearly the players aren’t responding to what he’s doing. They were lifeless against Liverpool on Sunday and, in one of their biggest games of the season, they simply didn’t turn up. That, ultimately, has to be levelled at the manager. You only have to look at how someone like Marcus Rashford performs for England as opposed to how he plays for United, to see that Mourinho’s methods weren’t working at Old Trafford. The Red Devils need someone progressive who will help their talented players take the next step, not a dictatorial pessimist who is stuck in the past. As Gray says, the situation simply didn’t need to carry on, and so the club have made the right decision to part ways with the Portuguese.