Ruben Amorim has remained tight-lipped over his Manchester United sacking. His final press conference made clear that issues between the Portuguese coach and the higher-ups had reached the tipping point.
United dismissed Amorim following a 1-1 draw away to Leeds United (January 4th). Their decision came just 24 hours after he claimed he had taken the job 14 months ago to be the manager, not the coach.”
Amorim broke several embarrassing records during his tenure and couldn’t work in the structure implemented by INEOS. His assistant, Adelio Candido, has reflected on their time at Old Trafford by suggesting they didn’t get the chance to put their plans into practice.
Candido gets candid
Amorim brought his Sporting staff with him to Manchester United, including Candido. He has become one of the first members of that backroom team to question INEOS’ handling of the club.
Candido spoke to Portuguese newspaper A Bola:
“Experience is always experience. Whether the end result is good or bad, we always end up learning. I really liked Manchester as a city, the way the fans live and breathe football, they were looking at the project rather than short-term results.”
He added:
“What I liked less, without a doubt, was the feeling that our ideas weren’t totally implemented.”
There weren’t many more highly-rated upcoming coaches in European football than Amorim when he replaced Erik ten Hag in November 2024. He transformed Sporting CP in Liga Portugal, guiding them out of a difficult period and achieving two league titles.
Amorim’s appointment came out of left field as he wasn’t mentioned as a candidate in the immediate aftermath of Ten Hag’s sacking. Fans were enthusiastic given his resume, promise, and INEOS’s ambition not turning to a safer option.
A disastrous decision
Their risk didn’t pay off as the 41-year-old failed to get to grips with his squad and refused to adapt his system to fit them. He oversaw just 25 wins and 23 defeats in 63 games, including a Europa League final loss to Tottenham Hotspur.
Candido’s comments are interesting because performances improved only when the sporting director, Jason Wilcox, intervened. A switch to four-at-the-back last winter made a clear difference, but that was when Amorim’s relationship with the top brass fell apart.
Amorim’s stubbornness led to the club’s worst Premier League campaign in history. A 15th-place finish is inexcusable, but INEOS were willing to be patient and give him the chance to turn things around in his sophomore season.
They only pulled the plug because of his criticism over their interference in his coaching, which clearly wasn’t working. INEOS are by no means blameless; the fact that they opted for a tactician so wedded to a three-at-the-back system was always going to end in disaster.
Amorim managed a win percentage of 31.9% in the Premier League, the lowest of any United manager in top-flight history. The co-owners reportedly realise they made a mistake appointing him, and that’s been no more apparent than the improvement shown since Michael Carrick replaced him.
