🔗 Share this article

Manchester United have terminated the contract of manager Ruben Amorim after just 14 months in charge. The move comes following a significant power struggle over transfer policy and despite the team's improved league position.

What Sparked the Decision

Tensions between Amorim and the club's leadership, particularly director of football the recruitment chief, had been strained for weeks. The final trigger is believed to have been comments made by the coach after Sunday's 1-1 draw with Leeds United. He reportedly told the recruitment team to "do their job," highlighting a major disagreement.

"I came here to be the manager of Manchester United – not to be the coach. That is clear. I know my name is not a household giant 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 Disappointing Spell

Statistically, the Portuguese manager's time at the club was poor. He leaves with a record of victories of under 40% and a league points average of just 1.24 in the Premier League. The team suffered more defeats than it won in 2025.

Interestingly, his final games showed a slight improvement. United were defeated only once of his final eight matches and currently sit sixth in the standings, just three points off the coveted Champions League spots.

Final Games in Charge

• 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)

United's Position

In its statement, the club presented the decision as one aimed at securing the highest 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."

The Immediate Future

In the short term, club legend Darren Fletcher will take charge on an interim basis. He is scheduled to be in the technical area for the upcoming Premier League fixture against the Clarets.

For the permanent role, oddsmakers and pundits are speculating a number of potential candidates. Names in the frame include former Barcelona coach Xavi, the Austrian manager, Three Lions manager Southgate, and another promising coach.

The Court of Public Opinion

The news has sparked mixed reactions among the fanbase and commentators. Some cite the underwhelming results and tactics as justification, while others argue the ownership and directors must bear a large responsibility for continuous turmoil.

A perspective suggests: "{Between the consistently bad performances and results, the very low win ratio and the inflexible approach, he has no one else to blame but himself... The ownership and their ‘best-in-class’ claims should, however, feel a large brunt of the fan’s rage; this was a mess from beginning to end."

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

The search for a new manager and the quest for stability at Manchester United begins anew.