Manchester United sacked manager Jose Mourinho

Jose Mourinho has left his job as Manchester United manager after two and a half years in charge.

A poor start to the Premier League season has seen United slip 19 points behind the leaders, Liverpool, who beat them 3-1 on Sunday and fall off the pace in the hunt for a top-four place. They have won only once in six league matches, drawing during that sequence with struggling Southampton and Crystal Palace.

The club issued a statement on Tuesday morning which read: “Manchester United announces that manager Jose Mourinho has left the club with immediate effect.

"A caretaker-manager will be appointed until the end of the season while the club conducts a thorough recruitment process for a new, full-time manager".

"The club would like to thank Jose for his work during his time at Manchester United and to wish him success in the future."

United's haul of 26 points after their first 17 Premier League games, is their worst tally in the top flight at this stage since 1990-91.

They are 11 points off the top four and closer to the relegation zone than the top of the table.

Relations between the manager and the executive vice-chairman, Ed Woodward, also seemed strained after the club did not sign a central defender this summer. The club concluded that of the players in that position targeted by Mourinho whom they could potentially land, none was an upgrade on the existing squad.

In two full seasons at Old Trafford, Mourinho won the Europa League and League Cup (2016-17) before finishing second in the Premier League last season and reaching the FA Cup final. In that period since replacing Louis van Gaal, United’s spending stands at £364.3m on eight buys.

Zinedine Zidane, available following his surprise decision to resign his position at Real Madrid following their Champions League success over Liverpool in May, has been linked with the United job.