Wayne Rooney: Manchester United Made 'The Right Decision' to Sack Jose Mourinho
Former Manchester United star Wayne Rooney believes the club was right to sack Jose Mourinho as manager.
On Tuesday, United relieved Mourinho of his duties and appointed Ole Gunnar Solskjaer as caretaker boss until the end of the season the following day.
Speaking as a pundit on BT Sport ahead of United's 5-1 victory over Cardiff City on Saturday—Solskjaer's first game in charge—Rooney said (h/t the Mirror's Thomas Bristow):
"Yeah something had to change and I think it was the right decision. Obviously the club have given Ole the job until the end of the season and see how he does while they search for a new manager and try and make sure they get the right one this time."
Mourinho had left the Red Devils 19 points off the top of the table and 11 behind the top four, having struggled to get the most out of his players.
Rooney believes there was a disconnect between Mourinho and his staff and the squad:
The former England international spent his final season at Old Trafford under the Portuguese coach before leaving.
He started 25 of the 39 matches he played under Mourinho but was gradually phased out of the side and was benched for both the League Cup and UEFA Europa League finals, appearing in the latter for only a minute.
Rooney felt Mourinho's communication with the players needed work:
Replacing Mourinho with Solskjaer prompted an instant response from United players, who comfortably and confidently dispatched Cardiff thanks to goals from Marcus Rashford, Ander Herrera, Anthony Martial and a brace from Jesse Lingard.
It marked the first time United had scored five goals in a single league match since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, following a 5-5 draw with West Bromwich Albion in his final game in charge.
The Mail on Sunday's Oliver Holt and ESPN FC's Mark Ogden believe the Red Devils' previous struggles were largely because of Mourinho's management rather than a lack of motivation on the players' part:
It was only one match against a side battling relegation, but the contrast between United's performance against Cardiff and their play under Mourinho was stark—it's difficult to imagine they would have put in anything like that kind of showing were the Portuguese in charge.
The match will have restored some much-needed confidence, and Solskjaer needs to keep the feelgood factor going for the remainder of the season to ensure as positive a finish to the campaign as possible.
As for Mourinho, some reflection on where the United job went wrong—and what he could have done better—could help him have a more successful time when he returns to the game.
