"Following Manchester United's comeback draw against Leeds on Sunday, manager Ruben Amorim said in a heated press conference that he "came here to be the manager of Man United, not the head coach," hinting at a power struggle behind the scenes. Less than 24 hours later, he no longer has to worry about that distinction, as the club finally cut ties with the Portuguese manager, ending a 14-month-long tenure that never got off the ground."
"After the Erik ten Hag saga, Amorim, who moved over mid-season from Sporting Lisbon in November of 2024, was considered a major upgrade. (Naturally, Ten Hag was himself considered a major upgrade over the Michael Carrick-Ralf Ragnick caretaker era that preceded him.) Amorim was set up to fail, however, in part due to his own stubbornness; a 3-4-3 devotee, the new manager immediately set about installing his preferred system, despite the lack roster's incompatibility with a three-at-the-back system."
"The results have been dire, even as United has managed to look quite decent at times this season. In his time at the helm of United, Amorim only won 15 Premier League matches (seven last season, and eight so far this campaign), and he presided over a 15th-placed finish last year, United's lowest top-flight position since getting relegated in 1974."
Ruben Amorim was dismissed by Manchester United after 14 months in charge following a comeback draw with Leeds and a behind-the-scenes power struggle. Amorim arrived mid-season from Sporting Lisbon in November 2024 and pursued a 3-4-3 system that clashed with an incompatible squad. He won only 15 Premier League matches across his tenure and presided over a 15th-place finish last season, United's lowest since 1974. The team showed flashes of quality this season with wins over Chelsea, Brighton, Sunderland, and Liverpool but declined after a 4-4 draw with Bournemouth and poor subsequent results. Darren Fletcher was named interim manager with a possible stay until the summer.
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