Manchester United have terminated the contract of head coach Ruben Amorim after just 14 months in charge, ending a brief and turbulent period at Old Trafford. The Portuguese coach's departure follows a reported power struggle with the club's hierarchy over transfer strategy and his unwavering tactical philosophy.
The Final Unravelling: A Press Conference Spark
The beginning of the end for Amorim's tenure can be traced to a tense media exchange last Friday. When questioned about whether director of football Jason Wilcox had informed him of a reduced January transfer budget, Amorim replied with the sarcastic retort, "You are very smart." This followed odd comments on Christmas Eve where he suggested he was beginning to understand funds were not available for the players needed to execute his preferred 3-4-3 formation.
This public friction highlighted a deep-seated issue. Club sources indicate that chief executive Omar Berrada and Wilcox saw Amorim's inflexibility on tactics as a key reason for his dismissal. Despite an initial understanding that he would evolve United's style to a more attack-focused approach, Amorim remained stubborn. He had previously declared that "not even the pope" would make him change his system, a stance that seemed naive after a 15th-place Premier League finish last season and a Europa League final loss to Tottenham.
Broken Promises and Growing Rifts
Amorim's reign, which began in November 2024, was backed by a significant £250 million summer spend on players like Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, Benjamin Sesko, and goalkeeper Senne Lammens. However, the squad remained critically unbalanced, lacking a dedicated defensive midfielder—a need the hierarchy insists Amorim agreed to deprioritise in favour of attacking signings.
Relations deteriorated further due to Amorim's perceived downplaying of the club's academy. His public criticism of young loanees like Harry Amass and Chido Obi did not sit well with executives. Similarly, underwhelming comments about senior players, including Patrick Dorgu and Sesko, added to the discontent.
Leadership Under Scrutiny
While Amorim bears responsibility for poor results—boasting a mere 39% win rate and the worst points-per-game record of any permanent United manager since the 1970s—questions are also being asked of the executives who appointed him. As highly paid leaders, Berrada and Wilcox are accountable for a recruitment process that has again failed to find a long-term successor to Sir Alex Ferguson.
Technical director Jason Wilcox, who interviewed Amorim for the role in early summer 2024 before Dan Ashworth's arrival, regularly gave the coach feedback. Club sources state Amorim became increasingly unreceptive to this advice. His post-match comments after Sunday's trip to Leeds, where he pointedly referred to himself as "manager" not "head coach" and suggested the club might need to change if heeded criticism from pundits like Gary Neville, were seen as a deliberate back-me-or-sack-me ultimatum.
Another Chapter in Post-Ferguson Turmoil
Amorim now joins a long list of managers—including David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, and Jose Mourinho—who have failed to tame the United beast. He leaves with the team preparing for a trip to Burnley under caretaker manager Darren Fletcher. The club's leadership, spearheaded by minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, must now confront the recurring cycle of hope and failure that has defined the last decade at Old Trafford.
