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The news of Jose Mourinho’s sacking as Manchester United manager is beginning to settle down among the football community. The Portuguese was axed from his post on Tuesday morning after overseeing a woeful tenure at Old Trafford.
A statement on the Red Devils’ official Twitter page read: “Manchester United has announced that Jose Mourinho has left the club. We would like to thank him for his work during his time at Manchester United and wish him success in the future.”
Mourinho’s departure comes after United lost 3-1 to bitter rivals Liverpool last Sunday. The loss leaves the Red Devils sitting 19 points below Jurgen Klopp’s men, and eight points away from the top four.
After winning two trophies – the Europa League and Carabao Cup – in his debut season with Man United, Mourinho was once again haunted by his third-season syndrome. Intriguingly though, not many Man United fans will miss Mourinho following his departure.
Indeed, the club itself has already moved on by appointing legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as interim manager till the end of the season. And although it has barely been 72 hours since Mourinho’s sacking, United have already starting reaping some benefits.
Here are three good things that have happened to Manchester United since the sacking of the Portuguese:
#3 Man United’s share price rises by 6%
Jose Mourinho’s ill-fated spell may have affected Man United the most on the pitch, but his departure appears to be reaping dividends in the cheque books as well.
Just hours after the Portuguese was sacked on Tuesday, the club’s share price reportedly increased by nearly six per cent. Later in the day, Manchester United plc rose on the New York Stock Exchange as well.
This was definitely no coincidence. Man United closed Monday on US$17.30 (£13.65), but the share price steadily increased to US$18.39 (£14.51) after Mourinho’s sacking on Tuesday.
It’s obvious that the club’s lack of progress under the former Chelsea boss was also telling on the Stock Exchange, but that is beginning to change now.
#2 The feel-good factor is back with Solskjaer
Normally there are sober reflections when a club sacks its manager. In Jose Mourinho’s case, he left fans divided when he departed both Real Madrid and Chelsea. However, it was a totally different scenario with Manchester United.
After leaving the Red Devils 19 points below table-toppers Liverpool, a majority of the Old Trafford faithful were relieved to see Mourinho’s back. The euphoria was no different on Twitter, where many fans backed the board’s decision to fire the Portuguese.
It appears that the feel-good factor around the club is also back with the appointment of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as interim manager. At one point in Mourinho’s tenure, the fans looked like they had lost hope in the team, but that mood seems to have followed him out of the Old Trafford exit door.
Although Solskjaer has very little experience managing an elite side, most Man United fans prefer the ‘baby-faced assassin’ to Mourinho, and that is evident by their reaction to the news of the latter’s sacking.
#1 A positive and less tense dressing room
One of the lowest points for Jose Mourinho was his inability to manage the Man United dressing room. The Portuguese used to be one of the best man-managers in the sport, but he appears to have lost that aspect of his expertise.
At Real Madrid and Chelsea, his tenures were characterized by fallouts with players, as well as a whirl of negativity around the dressing room. Unfortunately, his Old Trafford spell ended in this same fashion.
He ended up calling out his players in the media at every opportunity. There were reports that he was not on good terms with as many as six first team players. Mourinho’s fallout with Paul Pogba, in particular, may have played a huge role in his sacking.
But his departure has cleared all that negativity that used to surround the Man United dressing room. On Thursday when the players arrived at Carrington for training, they looked more relaxed, as compared to previously with Mourinho in the dugout.
