After a whirlwind 24 hours, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was appointed as Manchester United caretaker manager today, until the end of the season.
It’s been a frantic period for the club, but on the day when United confirmed their fourth manager of the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era, we’ve made sure you won’t miss out on anything…
The new setup
So what does Solskjaer’s appointment mean for the format of the backroom team? Ferguson’s former assistant Mike Phelan will return as number two, while Keiran McKenna and Michael Carrick will remain part of the support staff.
Perhaps one of Solskjaer’s first tasks will be getting Anthony Martial back onside as
Squawka report the Frenchman’s representatives are pessimistic about the chances of extending his Old Trafford deal long term.
Meanwhile, Jose Mourinho has broken his silence on his sacking, making a brief statement but refusing to divulge the juicy details of his departure.
Mourinho’s reign
Talking of juicy details, the various outlets have unveiled some of the inside track that gives a fuller idea of just how bad things had got under Mourinho.
The Times report that Mourinho was shouting down the phone during the pre-season tour about the state of the club’s transfer business and had not spoken to some members of his medical staff face to face for 18 months.
They also say his arrogance was also underlined by angering club figures by turning up to the Munich air crash anniversary event at Old Trafford in trainers and a hoodie, as well as putting his son on the bench against Swansea.
Elsewhere, ESPN have more; they say Mourinho became paranoid by how his team selections kept getting leaked and went to extreme lengths to try and unearth the mole.
He also apparently frustrated senior staff by bringing up transfer targets out of the blue in high level discussions and tellingly, that the feeling around the club now he’s been sacked is one of relief.
The Independent report that ’90 per cent’ of the squad wanted Mourinho gone and even the others were ambivalent, as well as underlining the growing tension Mourinho was fostering behind the scenes.
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