Manchester United have confirmed the departure of head coach Ruben Amorim, with the club citing a desire to secure the highest possible Premier League finish as the reason for the decision. The 40-year-old was appointed in November 2024 and led the team to a UEFA Europa League Final in Bilbao in May, but United currently sit sixth in the table after eight wins, seven draws and five losses.
Rio Ferdinand, speaking on his YouTube channel, admitted he was surprised by the timing of the sacking. "They have sacked him, they have sacked him!" he said. "I didn't anticipate this when I woke up this morning that Ruben Amorim would be getting the sack. He was not in the four or five managers I thought would be getting the sack next." However, Ferdinand added that Amorim's record was "the worst of any United manager since Sir Alex Ferguson", making the decision understandable.
The former United defender revealed that a recent visit to the training ground to interview Bruno Fernandes had alerted him to a change in Amorim's demeanour. "He's warm, he spends time with you, he's an open book," Ferdinand said. "When I went there the last time, I noticed immediately that there was a coldness about him. There was a real difference to what I'd seen before." He also observed that Amorim's last two press conferences appeared "depressing" rather than upbeat, noting that his usual jovial manner was absent.
Ferdinand believes the issues were building well before this week. "Now I look back with hindsight, things were starting to cook before Christmas," he said. "This isn't just an overnight thing in terms of his dialogue with the hierarchy and the way he's been feeling about things." Darren Fletcher will take charge of the team for Wednesday's Premier League match against Burnley, though the club have yet to announce a permanent replacement.
