Jose Mourinho sacked: Paul Pogba, Anthony Martial silent but several Manchester United players thank former manager
- First and last signings express gratitude after Jesse Lingard leads the way
- Most players have not posted on Twitter since Portuguese was sacked
Manchester United’s players have finally broken their silence after Jose Mourinho was sacked as manager.
The Portuguese was relieved of his duties on Tuesday morning but not a single player had posted on Twitter until Wednesday night in the UK – after United legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had been confirmed as interim coach until the end of the season.
Reports suggested executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward consulted all of the players on Monday, with only Nemanja Matic and Romelu Lukaku in favour of keeping him.
Neither of those players has tweeted about Mourinho’s sacking but Matic has never tweeted from his official account.
Eric Bailly, Mourinho’s first signing at the club, paid his own tribute to his former boss.
“Whatever they may say, I will always be thankful to the person who gave me the chance to make my debut at Old Trafford,” the centre-back wrote. “Thank you for what you have taught me. Good luck, coach.
Diogo Dalot, the Portuguese full back who was Mourinho’s last signing as manager, also thanked his fellow countryman.
“It’s always tough for everyone involved with the club when something like this happens,” the right back wrote.
“However I’d like to say, that I will always be grateful to Jose Mourinho for this wonderful opportunity and bringing me to @ManUtd.”
Prolific social media user Jesse Lingard was the first to tweet, thanking Mourinho for the “memories and wisdom” alongside a photograph of the pair.
It was under the former Chelsea and Real Madrid manager that Lingard flourished into a first-team regular at United.
Highly rated youth prospect Angel Gomes, who was handed his first team debut by Mourinho, also posted on Twitter to show his gratitude.
“You allowed me to make my debut at 16 and play in front of the Stretford End, something I will never forget ever. Thank you boss,” the forward said.
The vast majority of the club’s players have remained silent, however, backing the theory that the manager had lost the dressing room.
Mourinho signing Alexis Sanchez has tweeted since the manager was fired but only to thank fans for their birthday wishes.
Paul Pogba, whose Instagram post in the immediate aftermath of Mourinho’s departure had caused controversy, has not been active since deleting a smirking photo accompanied by the words “caption this” on his Twitter and Instagram accounts.
The France midfielder, who has been at odds with Mourinho, dismissed it as a scheduled marketing post but many called the timing suspicious.
Pogba is set to be fined for the tweet.
Many of the players have not posted since December 8 when they beat Fulham in the English Premier League.
