Ruben Amorim's tenure as Manchester United head coach has ended following a series of fallouts with six first-team players, according to club sources. The Portuguese was dismissed on Monday after a dour reign that saw the team finish 15th in the Premier League last season and lose the Europa League final 1-0 to Tottenham.
The final unravelling began on Friday when Amorim, in a media conference, appeared to confirm a change in the January transfer budget after being questioned about it. His inflexibility over his preferred 3-4-3 system was a key factor in the decision, with chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox believing he had agreed to adapt to a more attack-focused style.
Amorim's criticism of academy players, including Harry Amass and Chido Obi, as well as underwhelming comments about senior players like Patrick Dorgu and Benjamin Sesko, added to tensions. His post-match comments on Sunday, where he referred to himself as 'manager' not 'head coach' and hinted at a 'back-me-or-sack-me' stance, proved the final straw.
Questions now loom over Berrada and Wilcox, who backed Amorim's appointment 14 months ago. While Wilcox can be partly excused as Dan Ashworth was director of football at the time, both executives face scrutiny for failing to ensure the right man was in place to lead the club.
