Ruben Amorim is the latest to be relieved of the poisoned chalice that has been the manager’s job at Manchester United since Alex Ferguson left after nearly 27 years and 1,500 games in charge. The keyword in this case is “Manager”, because Amorim clearly felt he was not given that status at Old Trafford. Having wielded considerable power in his previous job at Sporting Lisbon, he would’ve surveyed the English football landscape and seen the influence that the likes of Pep Guardiola at Manchester City and Mikel Arteta at Arsenal have.
Ultimately, Amorim wanted no part of a set-up where Omar Berrada, the chief executive, and Jason Wilcox, director of football, held the reins. The key decisions regarding personnel and playing style were being decided by others supposedly higher up the food chain, and as was the case with Enzo Maresca at Chelsea, Amorim could no longer stomach that beyond a point.
He arrived at Old Trafford with a huge reputation, after his Sporting team had won the title twice in four seasons, and thrashed City in the Champions League just weeks earlier. But the expected take-off never happened, with players struggling to cope with his three-at-the-back formation and more deliberate build-up that completely ignored United’s long tradition of cavalier football based on flying wingers. The 15th place finish in the league and a tally of 42points were the worst in a generation, and defeat in the Europa League final against Spurs only added to the gloom.
There was improved recruitment in the summer in the form of Matheus Cunha, Brian Mbeumo and Senne Lammens, and after a disastrous start that saw just seven points from the first six games, United climbed steadily up into the European places. But they are 18 points behind Arsenal and nowhere close to a title challenge.
Of course, it was too much to expect Amorim to get where even Jose Mourinho and Louis van Gaal couldn’t, but tensions mounted as progress stalled in December. With Mbeumo and Amad Diallo away at AFCON, and Bruno Fernandes sidelined by a hamstring problem, Amorim’s call for reinforcements in the January transfer window would probably have gone unheeded.
That no doubt prompted the extraordinary outburst at Elland Road after the 1-1 draw against Leeds United. But once he said what he did about seeing himself as a manager and not a head coach – the title under which he was appointed – the die was cast. The only surprise is that United acted so quickly, and with seemingly no replacement in sight.
“With Manchester United sitting sixth in the Premier League, the club’s leadership has reluctantly made the decision that it is the right time to make a change,” said the official club statement. “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.”
Darren Fletcher has enjoyed success with the under-18s and is highly rated within Old Trafford, but whether he can make the step up to managing – or coaching – the senior side remains to be seen. Given the club’s financial travails, another failure to qualify for the Champions League could be catastrophic. Watch this space.
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