Ruben Amorim: Man United’s decisions cost the club millions – Man United News and Transfer News | The People’s Person

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14 months. 64 games. 24 wins, 18 draws and 21 losses.

It would make gloomy reading for a bottom-team manager; it is a record that is hardly credible for the head coach of Manchester United, the country’s biggest club.

Ruben Amorim’s winning record – 31.9% – is the worst of any coach in the Premier League era, with INEOS finally ending his tenure on a cold Monday morning.

Ruben Amorim Management Statistics

A messy divorce

The explosive fallout continues to pour out of the club today, with a wealth of reports revealing fierce infighting, fiery disputes, conflicting messages and broken promises.

Tensions have been bubbling beneath the surface for the past month, but the veil was angrily pulled back by Amorim during his press conference at Elland Road after the 1-1 draw with Leeds United.

The Portuguese coach demanded that other parts of the club – the scouting department and sporting director – “do their jobs” so he could do his. The constant reference to him as the ‘manager’, who found the term ‘coach’ awkward, indicated an acute dissatisfaction with his level of influence over the football operation at Old Trafford.

However, INEOS had already decided to take the ax before this bombastic interview, with the draw against Wolves as the turning point, instead of against Leeds.

This decision – and who ultimately provoked it – will largely be subject to individual interpretation, with INEOS in possession of their version of the divorce and Amorim his.

But the on-pitch record is immune to debate, as is the staggering costs United invested in hiring and firing the 40-year-old coach, at a time when the club’s non-playing staff are bearing the brunt of the layoffs.

Costly mistake after expensive mistake

INEOS was adamant and wanted Amorim to replace Erik ten Hag immediately in November 2024, rather than waiting until the end of the season as the then Sporting CP manager preferred.

According to talkSPORTUnited initially paid the Portuguese champions £9.5 million to win their prize Trainer from Lisbon and signed a contract worth £6.7 million per year. It was also ironclad, entitling Amorim to full compensation if he were fired.

During his 14 months at Manchester, Amorim has earned £7.8 million as head coach of the Red Devils. The sacking has paid him an additional £10.05 million on top of that, bringing the total cost of his tenure to £27.35 million for just 14 months’ work – or just under £1 million per win.

However, much of the impetus for Dan Ashworth’s dismissal was a disagreement over who should take over from Ten Hag in the first place, with the football director calling for an adaptable candidate with Premier League experience – the opposite of what CEO Omar Berrada convinced the club to pursue in Amorim.

The cost of hiring and firing Ashworth – poached at considerable expense and effort by Newcastle United – was £4.1 million, for just over five months’ work.

This leaves the large sum of £31.45 million that the club, at INEOS’ request, paid to secure their first choice in the boardroom and dugout, only to unceremoniously sack both.

And this debauchery has taken place against the backdrop of mass redundancies at the Theater of Dreams for the club’s non-playing staff, with more than 400 jobs lost since INEOS took control in 2024.

It is no wonder that Ratcliffe – a billionaire who lives in Monaco for tax purposes, having actively advocated for Brexit – is widely criticized by many with close ties to United, saying ‘disgust’ that is often used in cost-saving measures.

Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images

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