Most of the Manchester United dressing room are said to have been left unhappy following Ruben Amorim's sacking on Monday morning, with many players still backing the Portuguese head coach. The 14-month reign ended less than 24 hours after a draw at Leeds, driven by a power struggle behind the scenes. While key hierarchy members had issues with Amorim, the players retained confidence in him.
United players were informed of Amorim's departure on Monday morning, but according to The Sun, many felt the sacking had been coming for days. A large number expressed gratitude on social media in the hours after the news, a reaction not always seen when previous managers have left Old Trafford.
There had been signs of improvement under Amorim, including landmark wins at Liverpool and against Newcastle. However, there were also low points such as draws at home to West Ham and Wolves. Despite this, the players continued to believe in Amorim's approach. It also emerged that Amorim had a confrontation with Lisandro Martinez, who felt neglected and argued with the coach over his place in the side; Martinez later returned to the starting XI and wore the captain's armband.
Unlike previous managerial dismissals, players were not consulted about Amorim's position before the decision was taken. The Ineos hierarchy made the call themselves, putting more pressure on their next appointment. Ultimately, it is believed that Amorim's press conference at Elland Road was the final straw, in which he hinted at frustrations over a lack of power and influence, and suggested he was already looking towards leaving when his contract expired.
Gary Neville commented that no one comes out of the Amorim fallout looking good. He said: 'When a manager is sacked, it's a poor reflection on everybody. It means it's not worked. Ultimately everyone loses, particularly when you are sacking a manager partway through the season.' He expressed surprise at the timing, having expected the club to wait a few more weeks.
