End of yet another error. Manchester United’s decision to sack manager Ruben Amorim midway through the season has put the club into rebuilding mode for the second successive season, with work on this latest project unceremoniously abandoned.
In March, Sir Jim Ratcliffe boldly claimed that Amorim was doing a great job. The club’s chief executive, Omar Berada, insisted that the worst would come when summer arrived. Both sides are learning, belatedly, but things could always get worse for United.
In August they suffered United’s first ever defeat against a fourth-tier opponent, but Amorim was unable to see United eliminated from the Carabao Cup by Grimsby. That night, as he tinkered with his tactics board, he became the face of 1,000 memes.
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Manager Danial Khan reports the news that Manchester United have sacked Ruben Amorim.
A defeat against Brentford in September ended with Amorim repeating his experiment of playing Mason Mount at left wing-back. It wasn’t until October that he finally felt a sense of relief, winning the manager of the month award after an unexpected victory over Liverpool at Anfield.
However, they lost to Everton at Old Trafford in November, their first loss in a Premier League home game against 10 men. In December, they somehow managed to come away with one point against a Wolves team that had lost their previous 12 games.
January ended with a draw against Leeds, becoming the first side in Premier League history to concede a goal in 15 consecutive away games. Not because of the consequences, but because the relationship between Amorim and his superiors was irreparably broken.
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Gary Neville talks about Ruben Amorim’s post-match comments after draw against Leeds
The tension rose as I realized how much work I had left to do. Amorim were handed a new £200 million forward but still wanted more players in almost every other area of the pitch. His request came from a position of weakness as trust in him waned.
Berrada spoke of a “very clear identity,” but even that was eroding by the end. After moving to a winger role, he eventually switched to a back four. Inexplicably, it suggests that the reason it wasn’t changed sooner was the media’s fault.
Yet, after limping to a win against Newcastle with that system, they were unable to come back and beat Wolves. Gary Neville was frustrated. Amorim’s name-checking after his last game in charge suggests the frustration is shared within the club.
United’s decision-makers will be criticized for this foolishness, and rightly so. Amorim’s new contract with Erik ten Hag, released in October last season, was not the best for him to take the job – and he is keenly aware of that.
It always involved risk. Liverpool opted to play Amorim due to incompatibility in their formations, and the appointment of Arne Slott would provide greater continuity and go on to win the Premier League title. But Amorim remained on their radar.
His reputation was high and he enjoyed nothing but success in Portugal, building the best Sporting team in a generation and winning their first title in 19 years. And there was good reason why United were more open to change than Liverpool.
After finishing outside the top seven under Ten Hag, there was a desire among supporters for something more than just evolution, and Ratcliffe was happy to sell the idea. He wants to disrupt the situation at Old Trafford and Amorim could be his tool.
However, few could have predicted that it would become so difficult.
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Jamie Carragher slams Ruben Amorim’s comments after draw with Leeds
Amorim was endowed with an extraordinary level of patience, which Ten Hag’s own struggles only partially explain. The Portuguese scored fewer points in his first six games than the Dutchman scored in his last six, but things actually got worse from there.
Amorim averaged 16 points per game in 27 games last season, placing them 16th in the table during this period. Perhaps it’s worth remembering that when he arrived, United were meandering but only four points adrift of third place.
Failure to qualify for Europe has completely changed the financial situation, slowing the pace of change and making it more difficult for Amorim to revamp his squad. However, some fans doubted his plans anyway, as he refused to trust Koby Mainu.
There were also voices of dissatisfaction with the fact that he refused to change shape in a chasing match and made a similar substitution in the Europa League final, which was defeated by Tottenham. The familiar sight of a late substitution of centre-backs left many at Old Trafford perplexed.
Still, the supporters who watch United games are a loyal group and few will be celebrating his departure. They were hoping against hope that this would work out after more than a decade of disappointment. They were willing to believe that all this was actually happening somewhere.
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Ruben Amorim repeatedly emphasized that he came to the club to be a manager, not a coach.
That is why, despite all the mistakes that Mr. Amorim has made, he has been undone not only by the results but also by the comments. Speaking about his relationship with the club in the Leeds press room, he concluded: “(The relationship) will be over in 18 months and then everyone will move on.”
This made it clear to everyone that this new path that Amorim was walking would not lead to a new era or the next unified dynasty. According to his own words, even if the club allowed him to sign a contract, this project was already nearing its end rather than its beginning.
When framed in such a context, it’s natural to question the meaning of going down that path. And United’s investment in the tactically intelligent youngster, who had tested the club’s big heroes, was also cancelled. End of yet another error.
