Manchester United sack manager

                             

Louis van Gaal has been sacked as manager of Manchester United, with former Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho set to be named as his replacement.

Van Gaal, 64, leaves after two years of a three-year contract and is discussing severance terms.

The former Netherlands boss is believed to earn around £6.4m a year.

Mourinho's appointment is expected to be confirmed after the 53-year-old Portuguese meets senior United officials on Tuesday.

Van Gaal took control of United after leading the Netherlands to the semi-finals of the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

The Old Trafford club finished fourth in the Premier League in his first season in charge to qualify for the Champions League.

But they finished fifth this term and will play in the Europa League next season.

They only scored 49 league goals - their lowest total since 1989-90.

Saturday's FA Cup success at Wembley gave United a first trophy since Sir Alex Ferguson won the Premier League in 2013 in his last season before retirement, but it was not enough to stop Van Gaal from losing his job.

Reactions:

Gary Lineker tweeted: "Crikey! Manchester United have sacked Louis van Gaal. Who saw that coming? Next thing you know they'll appoint Jose Mourinho."

The Match of the Day presenter and former England striker added: "One thing is for sure, Mourinho is a brilliant coach and a winner. As close as you could ever get in football to guaranteeing success."

Ian Sterling, chairman of Manchester United Supporters Trust, said: "Van Gaal's fate was sealed with his results over the season. The style of play and football has been the worst I have seen in my time following United. A positive is that the club has acted quickly and a new manager will be in place in preparation for next season.

"The club has acted in the best possible way for its own interest and Van Gaal has been a victim of that. The supporters wanted a change, to put someone in charge who knows the philosophy of the club. Attacking and competing football rather than the game of chess we have seen this season.

"For many other clubs, winning the FA Cup would be a springboard to next season, for us it has been a finale.

Mourinho is a 'Marmite' manager, you either love him or hate him. He finished on a failure at Chelsea so maybe he has to come here and prove himself again.

"All the Manchester United fans want is someone who respects what the club is about. My concern is that he plays a similar style to Van Gaal. If Mourinho comes here and loves United more than himself, he will be a success."

Source: BBC