Former Blackburn and West Ham striker Benni McCarthy is adamant Jose Mourinho can lead Manchester United back to the top.
McCarthy won the Champions League with Mourinho at Porto in 2004.
He told the Daily Star: “Sometimes in life you are going to hit downers and Jose has had that this season but 100 per cent he will come back up again.
“Manchester United should not get rid of someone I think is one of the best managers around. Who do they replace him with? I don't think there are better managers out there than Mourinho.
“He's got the personality and the character to deal with this. For me he is the best manager for Manchester United.
“He might just need to understand that times have changed and he needs to stroke players' egos at times a little bit and accept that younger players need a bit more loving and caring.
“He is not the type to stroke anyone's ego as he believes that you have to go out there and perform like a professional as you are paid a lot of money and it is your job and you have to deliver the best at all times.
“From a personal point of view, Jose had the biggest impact on me. He was the kind of man that I wanted to become.
“How he was with his players and man management skills was second to none. As a footballing coach tactically you couldn't describe how good he was.
“On tactics alone, he could win the game without even having to kick a ball. He was that in depth in how he wanted us to play. I will always be grateful to him."