Jose Mourinho has been sacked by Manchester United with immediate effect, the Premier League club has announced.

The stunning decision comes just two days after United suffered an embarrassing 3-1 defeat by rivals Liverpool, which saw them concede a worst-ever 36 shots and slip 19 points behind the Premier League leaders.

The 55-year-old Portuguese has been under mounting pressure with United languishing in sixth position in the Premier League table, and despite his agent, Jorge Mendes, releasing a statement on 7 December to insist the club were happy with his management.

That has proven to be wrong, with United issuing a brief statement on Tuesday morning to confirm that Mourinho has left the club with immediate effect ahead of their next fixture against Cardiff City this Saturday evening.

A club statement released on Tuesday morning read: “Manchester United announces that manager Jose Mourinho has left the club with immediate effect.

“The club would like to thank Jose for his work during his time at Manchester United and to wish him success in the future.”

Liverpool vs Manchester United: Player ratings Show all 23 1 /23 Liverpool vs Manchester United: Player ratings Liverpool vs Manchester United: Player ratings Alisson - 4 out of 10 A very, very poor error to allow Lingard to equalise to allow Manchester United a foothold in the game. Untested otherwise, but fortunate it didn’t cost his side. Getty Images Liverpool vs Manchester United: Player ratings Nathaniel Clyne - 6 Solid on his return to Premier League action, though lacking in the overall impact that Alexander-Arnold and Gomez have given. AFP/Getty Images Liverpool vs Manchester United: Player ratings Dejan Lovren - 6 Could perhaps have done better to cut out Lukaku’s cross for Manchester United’s goal, though the fault obviously lies ultimately with Alisson. One chance skewed wide. AFP/Getty Images Liverpool vs Manchester United: Player ratings Virgil van Dijk - 7 Totally controlled Lukaku. Another strong performance from a man who is surely front-runner for Player of the Year at this stage. Getty Images Liverpool vs Manchester United: Player ratings Andy Robertson - 6 Seemingly every single one of his corners failed to beat the first man. Even afforded acres of room in the second half failed to produce a meaning delivery into the box. Getty Images Liverpool vs Manchester United: Player ratings Sadio Mane - 8 Took his goal nicely, bringing Fabinho’s pass down from an uncomfortable height superbly. Menacing throughout, from the right in the first half and the left later on. Liverpool FC via Getty Images Liverpool vs Manchester United: Player ratings Georginio Wijnaldum - 7 Pass, move, break up play. His evolution into an all-around central midfielder has been superb to watch. Undroppable. Getty Images Liverpool vs Manchester United: Player ratings Fabinho - 8 Excellent in tandem with Wijnaldum, controlling the game and finding constant pockets of space. A delightful pass for Mane’s opener. Emerging as a top Premier League defensive midfielder after initial struggles. Getty Images Liverpool vs Manchester United: Player ratings Naby Keita - 6 A competent, if not especially influential, performance on the left of midfield. Getty Images Liverpool vs Manchester United: Player ratings Roberto Firmino - 7 An assist for Shaqiri’s game sealing goal to cap a strong showing. Used the space created by Salah, Mane and Keita well to create chances in the first half. AFP/Getty Images Liverpool vs Manchester United: Player ratings Mohamed Salah - 7 Probably the least effective of Liverpool’s forward line but still a good performance. Liverpool FC via Getty Images Liverpool vs Manchester United: Player ratings SUB: Xherdan Shaqiri - 9 Immense impact with his fortuitous deflected drive to give Liverpool the lead, and his second similarly diverted effort to extend it. AFP/Getty Liverpool vs Manchester United: Player ratings David de Gea - 7 A string of excellent as Liverpool dominated throughout. Faultless for the three goals, and it would have been more without him. Getty Images Liverpool vs Manchester United: Player ratings Matteo Darmian - 6 Surprisingly solid at both centre back and right back as others around him struggled. Man Utd via Getty Images Liverpool vs Manchester United: Player ratings Eric Bailly - 5 A number of flying interventions that only served to highlight how disjointed the Manchester United defence was, particularly early on. Getty Images Liverpool vs Manchester United: Player ratings Victor Lindelof - 4 Really struggled with Liverpool’s movement. Looked more comfortable when the defence went to a four. Getty Images Liverpool vs Manchester United: Player ratings Ashley Young - 5 Should have tracked Mane’s run more effectively for the opener. He and Lindelof really struggled with Liverpool’s threat down the right early on. AFP/Getty Images Liverpool vs Manchester United: Player ratings Diogo Dalot - 5 While on the pitch ineffectual, though much of Liverpool’s play came down the other wing. A booking before being taken off at half time. Man Utd via Getty Images Liverpool vs Manchester United: Player ratings Ander Herrera - 4 An ill-advised, ill-timed, ill-conceived lunge on Mane allowed the Senegalese attacker to get to the byline for Shaqiri’s first. Gave the ball away far too regularly, though he was not alone in that regard among the visitors. Liverpool FC via Getty Images Liverpool vs Manchester United: Player ratings Nemanja Matic - 5 Failed to adequately shield a vulnerable defence. AFP Liverpool vs Manchester United: Player ratings Marcus Rashford - 5 Not his sort of game, and cut a frustrated figure at times, though he ran hard and tracked back when necessary. AFP/Getty Images Liverpool vs Manchester United: Player ratings Jesse Lingard - 5 On the spot to capitalise on Alisson’s blunder. Otherwise he struggled to get on the ball, and when he did struggled to keep it. AFP/Getty Images Liverpool vs Manchester United: Player ratings Romelu Lukaku - 4 Three touches in the first 20 minutes, two in his own box and none in Liverpool’s half. It didn’t improve much from there, and even his cross leading to the goal found a Liverpool player. Getty Images

United have not announced who will takeover from Mourinho despite former midfielder Michael Carrick being viewed as an ideal candidate to replace him on a short-term basis, with the club assessing their options over who can see them through to the end of the season.

However, a permanent appointment will be made at a later date for a new manager to take charge next season.

Mourinho has been sacked after two-and-a-half years in charge (Getty)

“A new caretaker manager will be appointed until the end of the current season, while the club conducts a thorough recruitment process for a new, full-time manager.”

It ends Mourinho’s two-and-a-half year reign at Old Trafford in which he won the Europa League and League Cup, and comes three years and a day after he was sacked by Chelsea for the second time in 2015.

Michael Carrick joined Jose Mourinho's backroom staff at the end of last season (Getty)

The Independent understands that United are considering an approach for former defender Laurent Blanc, who played for the club for the final two years of his playing career between 2001 and 2003.

The club are keen that whoever the short-term appointment ends up being, they must have a detailed understanding of the club in order to restore what it stood for after the disappointing reigns of Mourinho, Louis van Gaal and David Moyes.