Manchester United have sacked José Mourinho after two years and seven months as coach at the Old Trafford.

The 55-year-old Portuguese sacking followed Man United Sunday’s defeat at Liverpool, a defeat that ensured the Red Devils slipped 19 points behind the league leaders.

Under Mourinho this season, Man United have won only once in their six league matches, drawing during that sequence with struggling Southampton and Crystal Palace.

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.

There was also the strained relationship between Mourinho and Paul Pogba. The Frenchman was stripped of the vice-captaincy before a Carabao Cup defeat by Derby County.

The manager has criticised his players’ “mental approach”, attitude and quality.

Mourinho has seemed less than happy since the buildup to the season when he described preparations as “very bad” because many of his senior players were resting after the World Cup.

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.