Systemic failures at Old Trafford led Manchester United to appoint the wrong manager, and concerns remain that those problems persist under Sir Jim Ratcliffe's regime. An experienced football executive warned early in the season that the club lacked a proper process, despite the optimism surrounding Ruben Amorim's arrival.
Dan Ashworth, then sporting director, dissented from the appointment, arguing that United needed to rebuild the squad and infrastructure over several years and that a safer choice was preferable. He pointed out that the squad was not suited to Amorim's 3-4-3 system. Ashworth's scepticism was shared by analysts at rival clubs, with Tottenham and Liverpool having passed on Amorim before United hired him.
Data on managerial appointments remains descriptive rather than predictive, but the executive outlined four key questions clubs should ask. Amorim raised red flags on two: whether he had overachieved relative to budget, and whether his style of play suited the club. Sporting Lisbon's success was partly due to the struggles of Benfica and Porto, and Amorim's tactical inflexibility was a major warning sign.
The executive argued that pragmatism is underrated at the top level, and that Amorim's refusal to deviate from 3-4-3 should have been a deal-breaker. United's failure to heed these warnings has led to the current crisis, with reports of a falling out between Amorim and technical director Jason Wilcox over the weekend.
