Man United's wretched season lurches forth, with a risible 3-1 defeat at Anfield the latest nadir in their worst-ever start to a Premier League season.
In spite of presiding over such desultory failure, it appears that Jose Mourinho is going to shuffle forth, with his brief now to finish fourth. That will be a struggle - United are currently 11 points from fourth-place Chelsea.
Gary Neville spoke on Sky Sports yesterday of the inevitability of Mourinho's exit, but wondered whether the club could afford to fire the manager given they handed him a new contract in January. The price of doing so has been reported by Duncan Castles in today's Daily Record.
Per the report, it will cost United a massive £24 million to fire Mourinho before the January transfer window opens.
Should the club fail to qualify for the Champions League, it becomes 25% cheaper. If they do want to sack Mourinho, they will have to pay at least £18 million, as, remarkably that is his annual salary, and is topped up by 25% if United qualify for the Champions League.
If this report is true, it makes Mourinho the highest-paid manager in the League, with Pep Guardiola next on the list with a reported salary of £15 million.
