manchester united sack ruben amorim after a shambolic start to the season
Manchester United have officially parted ways with manager Ruben Amorim following a disastrous start to the 2025/26 campaign. The decision was confirmed late last night after an emergency meeting was held between club executives, with mounting pressure from fans, media, and internal stakeholders leaving the board with little choice.
Amorim, who was appointed during the summer amid much excitement and high expectations, failed to deliver results or performances that matched the club’s ambitions. After just 10 Premier League games, United sit in the bottom half of the table, with only two wins, four draws, and four defeats — their worst start in over a decade.
The final straw came after a 3-0 loss at home to Aston Villa, where the team looked disjointed, toothless in attack, and fragile defensively. The atmosphere at Old Trafford was toxic by full-time, with chants calling for Amorim’s dismissal echoing throughout the stadium. It’s believed that senior players also began to lose faith in his methods, with reports of dressing room unrest surfacing in recent weeks.
Amorim arrived at United after an impressive stint at Sporting CP, where he won the Portuguese league title and gained a reputation for developing young talent and implementing a dynamic playing style. The move was seen as a fresh, bold decision by the United board — a break from the club’s tendency to hire more experienced, high-profile managers.
However, the transition to English football proved too steep. Amorim struggled to get his tactical ideas across to a squad still in flux, with several new signings failing to adapt and some older players reportedly unhappy with the new training regime. His preferred 3-4-3 system never seemed to click, and United’s lack of identity on the pitch became a major talking point among pundits and fans alike.
In a short statement, the club said:
“Manchester United can confirm that Ruben Amorim has left his position as first-team manager with immediate effect. We thank Ruben for his efforts and professionalism during his time at the club and wish him all the best for the future.”
The search for a new manager is already underway. Club legend Michael Carrick, currently managing Middlesbrough, has been linked with a return, while out-of-work coaches such as Zinedine Zidane, Hansi Flick, and Graham Potter are also reportedly on the shortlist. For now, assistant manager Steve McClaren is expected to take interim charge.
This sacking marks the latest chapter in Manchester United’s ongoing struggle to find stability since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013. The club has now sacked six permanent managers in the last twelve years, with none able to restore the consistency and success of the Ferguson era.
Fan reaction has been mixed — while many agree that Amorim had to go, there’s growing frustration over the club’s long-term direction. One supporter commented, “It’s not just the manager. We’ve had five rebuilds in ten years. The people at the top need to take responsibility.”
Ruben Amorim leaves Old Trafford with a win rate of just 30%, the lowest of any United manager in the Premier League era. His tenure may have been brief, but it serves as yet another cautionary tale in United’s post-Ferguson history: without vision, patience, and the right support, no manager — no matter how talented — can succeed in the chaos that now defines Manchester United.
The pressure is now on the board to get the next appointment right. Otherwise, another season of disappointment may already be written in the stars
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