Manchester United have sacked Ruben Amorim following a 14-month tenure that ended with a 1-1 draw against Leeds United on Sunday. The result leaves the club sixth in the Premier League after 20 matches. Darren Fletcher, currently the Under-18s coach and former United midfielder, will take interim charge, starting with Wednesday’s trip to Burnley.
A club statement confirmed the departure, noting that while the decision was "reluctantly" made, it was the "right time to make a change" to pursue the highest possible league finish. The final straw appeared to be Amorim’s post-match comments at Elland Road, where he publicly challenged the hierarchy.
Amorim insisted he joined to be the "manager" rather than the "coach," a direct reference to the restructuring under Sir Jim Ratcliffe that aimed to limit the head coach’s influence over recruitment and style of play.
"I know that my name is not Thomas Tuchel, it's not Antonio Conte, it's not Jose Mourinho, but I'm the manager of Manchester United," Amorim said in his final press conference. He accused the board of selective information leaks and unwanted interference in his duties.
He also took aim at external pressure, stating, "If people cannot handle the Gary Nevilles and the criticisms of everything, we need to change the club." Despite his insistence that he would not quit, the board moved to pay out the remainder of his contract, which lacked a discounted exit clause.
Tactical inflexibility remained a recurring point of contention throughout his stay. Amorim remained committed to his 3-4-3 system despite pressure from director of football Jason Wilcox and head of recruitment Christopher Vivell to adapt.
Although United briefly trialled a 4-2-3-1 in a December win over Newcastle, Amorim reverted to his preferred shape for the subsequent draws against Wolves and Leeds. He hinted at frustration over a lack of transfer backing, stating that to play his "perfect 3-4-3," the club would need to spend heavily, something he realized "is not going to happen."
United paid €11 million (£9.25m) to bring Amorim from Sporting CP in late 2024, but his tenure failed to stabilize the club. Under his watch, United suffered their worst-ever Premier League campaign last season, finishing 15th with only 42 points.
Despite a £200 million summer spend on players like Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha, the team struggled for consistency. Amorim departs with a win percentage of just 38.1%, having recorded 24 wins, 18 draws, and 21 losses across 63 games in all competitions.
The search for a permanent successor is expected to wait until the summer, leaving Fletcher to navigate a busy January schedule. This exit marks another shift for INEOS, as Amorim’s departure follows the earlier exit of sporting director Dan Ashworth. Sir Jim Ratcliffe had recently voiced support for a three-year plan, but the rapid deterioration of the relationship forced a change of course.
