Paul Scholes' previous criticisms of Ruben Amorim have been vindicated after the Portuguese coach was sacked by Manchester United. The former midfielder had claimed that Amorim did not understand the club, and the head coach's dismal record at Old Trafford appears to back that up.
Amorim, 40, was dismissed less than 24 hours after a bizarre press conference in which he lashed out at figures like Gary Neville before storming out. His final match in charge was a flat 1-1 draw away to Leeds United, which left the club sixth in the Premier League but just three points off the top four.
Scholes, speaking on the Good, the Bad and the Football Podcast alongside former team-mate Nicky Butt, said: 'I don't think this manager gets this club full stop. I just don't think he's the right man. Man United is about risk and entertainment... having fans on the edge of their seat... wingers who beat people... There's nothing there.'
The statistics support Scholes' view. Amorim departs with the lowest win rate of any United manager in the Premier League era, winning just 31.9% of his matches (15 wins, 13 draws, 19 losses). That is significantly worse than interim boss Ralf Rangnick (41.7%) and his predecessor Erik ten Hag (51.8%). Only Rangnick had a worse goals-per-game ratio than Amorim's 1.40.
Scholes also criticised the club's hierarchy for appointing Amorim, noting that his Sporting Lisbon side played with three at the back, which he argued does not suit United. He compared Amorim unfavourably to Sir Alex Ferguson, who demanded his teams always go for more goals rather than sitting back.
