Ruben Amorim: Five reasons Manchester United sacked Portuguese 'suffer man'

The "Chosen One 2.0" experiment is officially over. On Monday morning, January 5, 2026, Manchester United sacked Ruben Amorim after just 14 months of increasingly painful football—a tenure locals nicknamed the "Suffer Man" era for the agonising matches fans endured week after week.

The Portuguese tactician arrived with Sporting CP credentials and left with the club languishing in 6th place, no European football to look forward to. 

This wasn't a quiet parting of the way, it was a spectacular implosion that had been building for months.

Here are the 5 critical reasons why Amorim's Old Trafford dream turned into a nightmare.

Sunday's 1–1 draw against Leeds United wasn't just disappointing, it became career-ending the moment Amorim opened his mouth afterward. 

In a spectacularly ill-advised post-match interview, he publicly attacked Director of Football Jason Wilcox and the entire scouting department, telling them to "do their job."

Gary Neville didn't mince words: "He's set a fire inside his own house."

The "back me or sack me" ultimatum gave INEOS exactly one option. You don't publicly undermine your bosses at Manchester United and expect to survive the night. By Monday morning, Amorim was unemployed.

Amorim's tactical stubbornness became his tragic flaw. He arrived with his beloved 3-4-3 system and refused to budge, even when it became painfully obvious the squad wasn't built for it.

The consequences were brutal. Alejandro Garnacho, one of United's most exciting attacking talents, was shoved into defensive wing-back duties that killed his impact. 

Bruno Fernandes looked lost between the lines as a defensive minded player in a double pivot. Marcus Rashford disappeared for weeks at a time.

Reports emerged that Head of Recruitment Christopher Vivell had privately questioned these tactics in internal messages. Amorim's response? Dig in harder. 

The result was the "suffering football" that emptied the Stretford End early and had Match of the Day pundits struggling to find highlights.

If there was a single decision that poisoned Amorim's relationship with United's fan base, it was his inexplicable marginalisation of Kobbie Mainoo.

The 20-year-old England international represents everything United want to be—academy-developed, technically gifted, commercially marketable. The board views him as untouchable, the future captain, the face of the next generation.

Amorim saw him as a square peg he couldn't fit into his rigid tactical round hole. Mainoo's minutes dropped, his development stalled, and the "Power Struggle" between manager and board reached a breaking point. When you're alienating the club's crown jewel, your days are numbered.

The statistics read like a horror movie script:

• 38% win ratio - the worst for any Manchester United manager in the 21st century

• 63 games: 24 wins, 18 draws, 21 defeats

• 15th place finish - United's worst-ever Premier League finish in 2024/25

Europa League final loss to Tottenham meant no European football whatsoever this season

That final point deserves emphasis. Manchester United, a club built on European nights at Old Trafford, spend weekday evenings this season watching other teams compete. 

The Bilbao heartbreak in May wasn't just a trophy lost; it was a commercial and sporting catastrophe that cost the club tens of millions.

Perhaps most damaging was Amorim's open rebellion against the very structure that hired him.

INEOS implemented a modern football operations model under Omar Berrada, one where recruitment is handled by specialists, not the head coach. 

This is standard at elite clubs like Bayern Munich, Barcelona, and Manchester City etc.

Amorim hated it. In his final weeks, he repeatedly and publicly declared, "I am the manager, not the coach," demanding transfer control that INEOS would never grant. This wasn't just about titles, it was a fundamental "breakdown in relations" over how a modern football club should operate.

When your manager is actively fighting against the organisational structure rather than working within it, the relationship is already over.

Club legend Darren Fletcher steps in as interim head coach for Wednesday's away fixture at Burnley. 

Meanwhile, the search for Amorim's permanent replacement has already begun, with reports the Red Devils will only name a new permanent boss in the summer.

The question United must answer: Can they find someone who'll embrace the INEOS vision, develop young talent like Mainoo, and most importantly, play football that doesn't make the Stretford End check the time in the 60th minute?

The Amorim era promised revolution. It delivered suffering. Now United must rebuild. Again.