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Manchester United have decided that it is time to say goodbye to Jose Mourinho. The club could seemingly no longer accept Mourinho's poor start to the season, and would now be on the lookout for a person who can bring the club to at least Champions League spots.
During his time at Chelsea, the 55-year-old fell out with a couple of players before he was sent packing. At Manchester United, the story seemed all too familiar as Mourinho began criticizing many of his players and the board.
The relationship between the players and their manager seemed to have reached the point where nothing could be done to salvage the situation. He had fallen out with too many players, and leading to the team losing confidence in themselves.
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But now with Mourinho gone, those players could benefit from the change and improve their showings. Here is a look at three players who will likely improve in the wake of Mourinho's sacking:
#3 Anthony Martial
Anthony Martial was close to leaving Old Trafford in the summer, as the relationship between him and Mourinho seemed to have fallen apart. The talented Frenchman was hardly given any game time to shine for his club, and this resulted in his unhappiness.
Martial had troubles getting into the Portuguese manager's good books and therefore, was often left out of the starting XI.
This season, Martial showed his ability to save his team from embarrassment by coming up with clutch plays at vital points. But that still didn't make the 55-year-old happy with his performance.
Mourinho has openly criticised Martial a couple of times, including an incident in November where the 23-year-old and a few other players were said to be "lacking maturity".
Under a new manager, who will be appointed as soon as possible, the French forward will get a fresh start at the club which could help him work towards fulfilling and maximising his potential. It is being reported that the club has decided to trigger Martial's contract extension, but the Frenchman remains uncertain about his long-term future.
With Mourinho gone, it could give the youngster a chance to regain his confidence in playing for United.
#2 Paul Pogba
For a long period of time, the French midfielder was at loggerheads with Mourinho. It has been evident for a while now that only one could stay at the club, and the other would be forced to leave.
Eventually, it was the manager who left.
From the training ground incident to publicly criticizing Pogba in front of the media, Mourinho didn't seem to have any trust in the midfielder. That lack of trust has severely impacted the reputation of both the manager and the player.
Everyone knows what the former Juventus player is capable of. He helped France win the World Cup in Russia just a few months ago, but somehow, he was not succeeding under Mourinho's system.
Now that the 55-year-old has left, Pogba could be better utilized by the new person in charge, and the atmosphere in the training ground should be less tense.
Earlier today, the Frenchman posted a cryptic tweet before deleting it, which seemed to be aiming a dig at his former manager. That shows the joy Pogba is experiencing at the news that Mourinho had been sacked.
#1 Alexis Sanchez
The Chilean is currently in the treatment room after a serious hamstring injury which will keep him out for an extended period of time. Fortunately or unfortunately, the injury meant he had played his last game under the manager a long time ago.
Since a high-profile move from North London to Manchester, Sanchez has yet to show his full potential to the fans; he hasn't come close to the standards he had set while playing for Arsenal. That has left many frustrated with the Chilean, and made them wonder why things have not worked out well for him.
With Mourinho's departure, the incoming new manager may be able to find a better and more suitable way to accommodate Sanchez. This will allow him to reach greater heights and also prove to the home fans that he is worth every penny that he is paid to work for the club.
As one of the highest paid footballers in the world, Sanchez has a lot of expectations on his shoulders. Perhaps when he returns from his hamstring injury and adjusts to the requirements of the new manager, he will be able to power the Red Devils to a top four position.
Sanchez's time with Mourinho has not been a happy one; he was even dropped from the squad after a few disappointing performances throughout the season. It was even rumoured that the manager gave the 29-year-old a dressing down before leaving him out of the squad when United faced West Ham.
The situation had gotten so bad that Sanchez was said to be keen on a move away from the club he had barely been in for a year. With this new development, the Chilean could think twice about his future, and begin working hard for a place in the line-up.
