Ruben Amorim has been sacked by Manchester United!
In my fifteen years on the beat, I’ve learned that at Old Trafford, the “long-term project” usually has the shelf life of an open carton of milk. Ruben Amorim’s departure after just 14 months feels like a grimly familiar script, yet it carries a specific weight of disappointment. When the Portuguese arrived in late 2024, there was a sense that United had finally found a tactical identity worth the investment. Today, as the club sits 6th in the Premier League after 20 matches, that identity has proven to be the very hill Amorim chose to die on.
The 1-1 draw against Leeds United on Sunday was the final act of a tenure defined by stubborn brilliance and backstage friction. In the press room at Elland Road, Amorim didn’t sound like a man looking for an exit; he sounded like a man defending a fortress. His pointed insistence that he was the “manager,” not merely a “coach,” was a clear shot across the bow of chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox. In this game, if you’re going to stick to your guns, you’d better make sure your aim is true. Unfortunately for Amorim, the leadership team felt the bullets were starting to fly in the wrong direction.
The rift essentially came down to the 3-4-3 formation. To Amorim, it was a gospel; to the board, it was becoming a square peg in a round hole. While we saw a glimpse of flexibility in that 1-0 win over Newcastle using a 4-2-3-1, the retreat to his preferred system against Wolves and Leeds suggested a manager who refused to compromise, even when he lacked the specialists to make it sing.
What makes this divorce particularly messy is the ledger. United spent a staggering £242 million to mould this squad to Amorim’s liking, bringing in the likes of Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo, and Matheus Cunha. They even sanctioned the high-risk culling of stalwarts like Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho to clear the path. Now, the club is left with a highly expensive squad and a massive bill. Because there was no “discount clause” in the deal that brought Amorim from Sporting CP for €11 million, United will have to cough up the remainder of a contract that runs until 2027.
The ghost of last season, that horrific 15th-place finish with a mere 42 points, clearly haunts the boardroom. Ratcliffe and his team are terrified of another slide. For now, Darren Fletcher is expected to step into the breach for Wednesday’s trip to Burnley, acting as the temporary solution until a permanent successor is found sooner rather than later. Amorim’s era was supposed to be the end of the chaos; instead, it’s just another expensive chapter in United’s search for a soul.
Do you think the sacking of Amorim is justified? Do let us know your thoughts.
