Ruben Amorim was never afraid to speak his mind during his time as Manchester United head coach but that also got him into a bit of trouble.
At the start of the season, Ruben Amorim said he wanted to stay 20 years as Manchester United head coach.
Just a few months later and Amorim has been sacked by United following a fallout behind the scenes with the club hierarchy.
Ruben Amorim SACKED – What is your INSTANT REACTION?
Amorim leaves United with the Red Devils currently sixth in the Premier League table, and his last action as head coach was a fiery press conference where he called out the ownership. That was certainly not his only controversial moment during his 14 months in charge.
The ‘worst team in the history’ of Manchester United
When he was first appointed, Amorim’s excellent communication skills were cited as one of his main strengths during his time at Sporting Lisbon.
However, Amorim has sometimes been too honest and too blunt with his comments.
Amorim famously said he was managing “the worst team in the history of Manchester United” after a defeat to Brighton last season.
Naturally, the quote made headlines across the country and Amorim was warned about being too honest. It seems he never really learned his lesson.
Ruben Amorim hits out at Man United board
Easily the biggest reason for Amorim’s dismissal was his incendiary comments made after the 1-1 draw to Leeds – which will now go down as his final match in charge.
Amorim claimed he was here to be the “manager of Manchester United, not a coach”, and he hinted at Jason Wilcox interfering with his tactical approach.
What do YOU think of Ruben Amorim’s latest comments? Is there trouble behind the scenes?
“I came here to be the manager of Manchester United, not to be the head coach.
“I know my name is not Conte, Tuchel, Mourinho but I’m the manager of Manchester United. It’s going to be like this for 18 months or until the board decide to change.
“I’m not going to quit. I’ll do my job until another guy is coming here to replace me.
Ruben Amorim
A fallout behind the scenes between Amorim and Wilcox is cited as the main reason for his sacking.
According to Sky Sports, Amorim showed “emotional” and “negative” behaviour in a meeting with Wilcox on Friday before the Leeds match. It is described as a “key factor” in his sacking.
Losing the Europa League final
Despite the disastrous Premier League campaign in 2024/25, Amorim did reach a major European final during his first season in charge.
However, United lost 1-0 to Tottenham in Bilbao, meaning the Red Devils also missed out on European football entirely.
While there were silver linings to United missing out on Champions League football, such as more time to prioritise the Premier League, Amorim would have much more credit in the bank if he lifted a trophy last season.
Ineos may have thought twice about sacking Amorim if he had won the Europa League last season.
Ruben Amorim criticised Man United academy
Any United manager – or head coach – is expected to lean into the club’s tradition of bringing up youth players.
Amorim gave seven debuts at United across his 14 months, but he was largely criticised for his handling of young players.
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Just last month, Amorim claimed academy players were entitled, and he also named Chido Obi and Harry Amass as players who weren’t ready to step up which sparked a social media response from the two youngsters.
Kobbie Mainoo dilemma
Pressure has been mounting on Amorim all season, and the majority of questions fired in his direction have involved Kobbie Mainoo.
Mainoo has been overlooked by Amorim this season, with the Portuguese coach preferring to start Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro in midfield.
Many United fans did not appreciate Amorim’s handling of Mainoo this season, and it is one of the main reasons why many supporters lost faith in him.
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