Mourinho’s dismissal is bad news – for Liverpool fans, City fans and The Lowry Hotel

The dismissal of Jose Mourinho is bad news for Liverpool fans and City fans. They won’t be able to sing “Don’t sack Mourinho” any more. Tottenham fans will be worried. And The Lowry Hotel will be sorry to see him go. But few United fans will miss him.

The most surprising thing about his dismissal is the timing.

After United’s abject performance against Liverpool on Sunday, we wrote: “it’s not a question of if he will be sacked, but when”. We just didn’t expect it to be so soon. Nobody did.

His first two seasons were relatively successful. Two trophies and a runners-up finish in  the Premier League aren’t a bad return. United weren’t playing the kind of football the fans are accustomed to, but as long as he was winning games and trophies, they were prepared to put up with it and remained loyal.

This season has been a disaster even before it started. Not just the results, but most of the performances.

He is not a bad manager. His record speaks for itself. But his man management skills clearly leave a lot to be desired.

One of the obvious flaws in his character is that he thinks nothing is ever his fault. The mess he has left the club in clearly is. But he’s not the only one to blame.

Some of the players should hang their heads in shame for their spineless performances and attitude.

So should Ed Woodward. Jose will get a massive payoff from the club to add to the £300million which was wiped off the club’s value on the New York Stock Exchange last month. Ed Woodward is responsible for that. Not something you expect from a man who is supposed to be good at making money. Must try harder.

The next appointment is crucial. It’s five years since Fergie retired. To say United have fallen off a cliff as a footballing force would be an understatement. Ed Woodward needs to get it right this time. If not, he should be the next to pack his bags.