UK (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Manchester United have removed manager Rúben Amorim after 14 months, with Darren Fletcher set to take charge following poor results and board concerns.
As reported by the BBC, Manchester United have parted ways with Rúben Amorim, naming Darren Fletcher as interim boss ahead of their Premier League game against Burnley on Wednesday.
Why did Manchester United sack Ruben Amorim after 14 months?
On Friday, 2 January, Rúben Amorim suggested that his relationship with Manchester United officials was strained, saying he might not receive full support in the transfer market.
After a 1-1 draw with Leeds on Sunday, 4 January, the Portuguese manager criticized the club’s leaders, saying he wanted to work as a manager, not just a coach, and that he would leave when his contract ends in 18 months.
Just under a day later, Manchester United confirmed that Amorim had resigned from his role as head coach following a 14-month tenure.
“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,”
United said.
The club continued,
“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 Portuguese coach’s team has also left Manchester United, with insiders saying the club felt there was little progress under him; since taking over in November 2024, the 40-year-old won 25 of 63 games.
Amorim is leaving after 14 months, the shortest spell for a permanent manager since David Moyes lasted just eight months.
Darren Fletcher, who managed Manchester United’s under-18s and worked as the club’s technical director, has never coached a senior team. The 41-year-old former Scotland player featured for United from 2002 to 2015, winning five Premier League titles and the 2007-08 Champions League.
He is set to address the media on Tuesday ahead of United’s game against Burnley the following day.
In January 2025, Amorim called his side “possibly the worst” in United’s 147-year history, following a 15th-place finish, the club’s lowest top-flight standing since 1974.
Over the summer, he invested £216m in new signings, including Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha, and Senne Lammens.
The Portuguese manager mostly used his preferred 3-4-3 system, which worked well at Sporting, but changed it recently, saying he had to adjust because he didn’t have enough money to sign players for his formation.
United used a back-four formation to beat Newcastle 1-0 on 26 December, yet Amorim opted for five defenders in their 1-1 draw with Wolves four days afterward. In the Premier League, he finished with the lowest win ratio (32%), highest goals conceded per match (1.53), and poorest clean sheet record (15%).
In May, Manchester United reached the Europa League final but lost 1-0 to Tottenham, missing out on European football for the first time since 2014-15.
United will start their FA Cup in the third round against Brighton, with August’s penalty shootout loss to League Two Grimsby marking a low point of Amorim’s tenure.
How did Gary Neville react to Ruben Amorim’s comments on Manchester United?
Former Manchester United player Gary Neville said Amorim seems to be showing his frustrations with the club’s management. He compared it to Enzo Maresca leaving Chelsea after a clash with the club’s owners last week.
“Something’s happened there in the last week with the quotes that are coming out that mean that Ruben Amorim is now starting to unleash a little bit, as Maresca did when he said, ‘I’ve had the worst 48 hours (at Chelsea),’”
said Neville.
He stated,
“It’s not quite that, but it’s something similar in a way which it’s not explicit what he means. Everyone’s having to read between the lines what he means, which looks to melike he’s not happy with something within the hierarchy.”
Neville added,
“I think that’s one of the things that managers tend to do towards difficult periods. They tend to sort of have a go at pundits and I’ve no problem with that whatsoever. I’ve actually been quite supportive in the last few weeks of Manchester United’s performances against Bournemouth, Aston Villa and Newcastle, I thought they were very good.
But I couldn’t be supportive after the game against Wolves, if that’s what Amorim was referring to.”
How did Ruben Amorim perform during his Manchester United tenure?
During his time in charge, Ruben Amorim claimed 24 wins from 63 games, a 38.1% win rate, the lowest at United since Ferguson, aside from Rangnick’s 37.9% in a half-season stint.
Under Amorim, United won only 15 of 47 Premier League games, averaging 1.23 points per match, the lowest in the club’s Premier League era.
The Portuguese manager’s longest winning streak was three matches, achieved in Europa League fixtures and matched later in the Premier League, while he lost a third of his total games.
Who will be the next Man Utd manager?
Manchester United legend Darren Fletcher, who won 13 trophies with the club, is now the interim manager after Ruben Amorim left following 14 months in charge.
Fletcher is currently the favourite to become Manchester United’s permanent manager, with bookmakers giving him 6/4 odds, or a 40% chance.
Bookmakers’ odds reflect Fletcher’s long interim spell, with a permanent manager expected to be named this summer.
