Sky Sports expert Graeme Souness agrees Mourinho can have no complaints over dismissal: "I never thought it was the right fit to begin with"
Tuesday 18 December 2018 11:24, UK
Manchester United's decision to sack Jose Mourinho was inevitable, says Graeme Souness.
Mourinho was sacked on Tuesday morning, less than 48 hours after United's 3-1 Premier League defeat at Liverpool, which left them 19 points behind their table-topping rivals.
United's haul of 26 points from 17 matches leaves them sixth in the table after their worst start to a top-flight campaign since the 1990-91 season.
Souness, who was in the Super Sunday studio for United's loss at Anfield, told Sky Sports News: "I'm not too surprised (by Mourinho's departure from the club), the writing's been on the wall for several weeks.
"I think something happened last week that told me the end was imminent. His agent should have stated that he was happy there and was going to see his contract out. That was a classic case of a warning shot to the directors at Man United.
"You get a feel of it, you're not getting the same communication. I think he would have known this was coming, but I'm not surprised."
Asked whether Mourinho could have any complaints after being dismissed, Souness said: "No, I don't think so, with the money he's spent and how the players are playing at present time. I said on Super Sunday that I couldn't see any light at the end of the tunnel.
"Listen, this is Man United we're talking about. I was at the Man City game (last month), which again was a Super Sunday match. They didn't turn up and didn't want to take Man City on in a game of football. I saw exactly the same against Liverpool. I saw at Bournemouth (when United played them last month), a man who didn't want to be there."
Mourinho's reign at Old Trafford lasted less than three seasons but Souness insists the Portuguese's appointment was doomed from the outset.
"I never thought it was the right fit to begin with, the brand of football he plays and the kind of headlines he's consistently bringing," Souness added.
"United have always been an extremely classy outfit and they will not have enjoyed the headlines he's brought to their door in the last two-and-a-half years."
