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The Old Trafford club have parted ways with manager their Portuguese head coach after just 14 months in charge. The move comes following a significant clash over recruitment strategy and even with the team's recent upturn in form.

The Final Straw

Relations between the manager and the club's football department, particularly director of football Jason Wilcox, had been deteriorating for a period. The final trigger is believed to have been comments made by Amorim following Sunday's 1-1 draw with Leeds United. He reportedly challenged the recruitment team to "do their job," underscoring a major disagreement.

"I was hired as the manager of Manchester United – not to be the coach. That is clear. I know my name is not among the elite names but I’m the manager. It’s going to be like this for 18 months or until the board decide to change. I’m not going to quit, I will do my job until another guy is coming here to replace me."

A Miserable Tenure

Statistically, the Portuguese manager's time at Old Trafford was poor. He departs with a win ratio of a sub-40% win rate and a league points average of just 1.24 in the Premier League. The team suffered more defeats than it won in 2025.

Paradoxically, his final games showed glimpses of stability. United were defeated only once of his last eight matches and currently sit sixth in the standings, just a narrow margin off the prized Champions League spots.

The Last Five Matches

• 4-4 draw vs Bournemouth (Home)
• 2-1 loss vs Aston Villa (Away)
• 1-0 win vs Newcastle United (Home)
• 1-1 draw vs Wolverhampton Wanderers (Home)
• 1-1 draw vs Leeds United (Away)

Club Announcement

In its official communication, the club presented the decision as one aimed at achieving the best possible league finish.

"With Manchester United sitting sixth in the Premier League, the club’s leadership has after careful consideration made the decision that it is the right time to make a change. This will give the team the best opportunity of the highest possible Premier League finish. The club would like to thank Ruben for his contribution to the club and wishes him well for the future."

What Comes Next?

In the short term, club legend the Scot will assume control on an caretaker basis. He is scheduled to be in the technical area for the next league fixture against the Clarets.

For the permanent role, oddsmakers and analysts are speculating a number of possible successors. Names in the frame include Spanish tactician Xavi Hernández, Oliver Glasner, Three Lions manager Southgate, and Enzo Maresca.

The Court of Public Opinion

The news has generated debate among supporters and observers. Some cite the poor performances and style as justification, while others argue the ownership and directors must shoulder significant blame for continuous turmoil.

One viewpoint suggests: "{Between the consistently bad performances and results, the very low win ratio and the tactical rigidity, he has no one else to blame but himself... INEOS and their ‘best-in-class’ claims should, however, feel a large brunt of the fan’s rage; this was a farce from start to finish."

An alternative take states: "It seems crazy to blame results when United are joint fifth in the table... They’ve beaten top sides... and have lost only twice since the start of October. Just watching them you can see they’re a improved side than last year."

The hunt for a new manager and the quest for stability at Old Trafford begins once again.