Outbursts, honesty, tactical rigidity and poor results will be Amorim's epitaph

Manchester United’s sacking of Ruben Amorim marks the culmination of the latest failed chapter in the club’s post-Alex Ferguson story, this one defined by public barbs, stubborn tactics and utterly dismal form.

The Portuguese coach, hired in November 2024 to replace Erik ten Hag, frequently sparred with pundits and hinted at a power struggle with senior figures within the club when he repeatedly defended his defensive strategy after appalling initial league performance that marginally improved this season.

The latest in a long line of managers who have tried and failed to bring back the good times that flowed under Ferguson, Amorim had hinted for a couple of weeks that he was not pleased with the level of interference from United’s board.

Sunday’s explosive press conference following their 1-1 draw with Leeds United, in which he even name-checked pundit Gary Neville, appeared to be the final straw.

“If people cannot handle the Gary Nevilles and the criticisms of everything, we need to change the club,” Amorim said.

“I just want to say that I came here to be the manager of Manchester United, not to be the coach. And every department — the scouting department, the sports director — needs to do their job.”

Neville responded by comparing it to former Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca’s similarly cryptic complaint, that led to the Italian leaving on New Year’s Day, suggesting Amorim was playing a dangerous game and signalling unrest within Old Trafford’s power structures, saying the comments “are never usually good.”

From the outset, Amorim stood square behind his trademark back three system of either 3-4-3 or a slight variation of 3-4-2-1.

Tactical flexibility

Senior figures, including director of football Jason Wilcox, reportedly urged tactical flexibility but Amorim remained unmoved until finally in late December, he briefly shifted to a back four, partly due to the mounting pressure, poor results, player injuries and international absences for the Africa Cup of Nations.

In a comment last week about the transfer window, he said his 3-4-3 formation would not work unless the club spent “a lot of money.”

Many expected Amorim to be sacked after last season. Their 15th‑place league finish with 42 points was their lowest in over 50 years and worst since the 1973–74 relegation season.

Their ugly loss to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final in May prompted another outburst, in which Amorim told reporters he would leave “without compensation” if the club’s board felt he was not right for the job.

Amorim’s press conferences were both raw emotion and a breath of fresh air for media in a league full of managers’ measured responses. In the aftermath of a 3‑1 defeat to Brighton last season, he labelled his side “maybe the worst team in Manchester United history.”

United spent approximately 250 million pounds ($336.60 million) to try to change that, making them one of the highest gross spenders in the Premier League, but still the results did not show the level of improvement the club demanded, with their shocking loss to League Two club Grimsby Town in the League Cup in August among the most shambolic results of his coaching tenure.

Last March, with United struggling, United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe described him as an outstanding young manager “and I think he will be there for a long time”.

In October he said that Amorim needed three more years to prove himself, comparing his tenure to Mikel Arteta’s early struggles at Arsenal.

Sunday’s press conference, however, suggested that faith had slipped. Amorim refused to clarify whether he still enjoyed boardroom support, insisting he was the “manager, not the coach” despite his head coach job title.

He implied he was digging in his heels to stay for 18 months — “or when the board decide to change.”

This veiled referencing of his contract and consistent mention of the hierarchy’s inadequacies suggest a behind-the-scenes authority clash, perhaps the tipping point that prompted his dismissal.

That was supported on Monday when a United source said that the club “developed an expert leadership team that enables the club to operate at the highest levels. Whilst the head coach is a key part of our ecosystem, they do not sit above it.”