Owen Hargreaves has called on Manchester United to reinstate Marcus Rashford to the first-team fold following the dramatic sacking of Ruben Amorim, insisting the exiled forward is a "special player" who was unfairly burdened with the club's struggles before being forced out to Barcelona.
It is reported that senior players at Manchester United felt as though “insecure” Ruben Amorim had lost control of the dressing room prior to his sudden dismissal as Red Devils boss. The Portuguese saw a 14-month reign, across 420 days, brought to a close on January 5. He is considered to have become a “mumbling” shadow of his former self before the axe finally fell.
Ruben Amorim may have delivered dismal results on the pitch for Manchester United, but he remained a fascinating coach to watch due to his tendency for drama whenever he was near a microphone. The Portuguese charmed journalists in his unveiling in November 2024 and from then on his press conferences became appointment viewing as you never knew what he might say.
Manchester United legend Nicky Butt has issued a furious ultimatum to the club's hierarchy, vowing to cancel his season tickets if they appoint Enzo Maresca as the next permanent manager. The 'Class of 92' icon believes the "City-fication" of the club's boardroom has already gone too far and insists he cannot stomach a former rival coach taking charge at Old Trafford following the dismissal of Ruben Amorim.
Petr Cech made a shock return to football when gracing Baller League UK, as he reunited with former Chelsea team-mate John Terry, but the legendary Czech keeper - who is now 43 years of age - was left red-faced when conceding a “goal of the season” contender. Cech was unable to help Terry’s team, the 26ers, secure a top-four finish and a place in the finals.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is reportedly "under consideration" as Manchester United search for a caretaker or interim manager to take over from Ruben Amorim, just over four years after he himself was sacked by the Red Devils. Darren Fletcher will lead the team in the immediate short-term, but the club is expected to name someone else in charge for the coming months, before a final permanent appointment is ultimately made ahead of next season.
There's a nostalgic feel to Chelsea's sudden firing of a manager and the mad scramble to bring in a successor midway through a season. The difference on this occasion is they are not a team stacked with world-class players in pursuit of the Premier League title, rather a middling assembly of young starlets with little hope of immediate success.
In an interview with The Business podcast released on October 9, Manchester United part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe vowed that Ruben Amorim would get "three years to demonstrate he is a great coach", while stressing the need for patience in the club's "long-term plan". Yet here we are, barely three months later, and Amorim has been unceremoniously kicked out of Old Trafford, with United having communicated their belief that "it is the right time to make a change" in order to "give the team the best opportunity of the highest possible Premier League finish".
Leeds appear to have trolled old adversaries Manchester United in the wake of the Red Devils’ decision to sack Portuguese coach Ruben Amorim. His final game at the helm was a Premier League fixture at Elland Road. It is claimed that a meeting with Jason Wilcox ultimately led to his demise, with Leeds taking great pleasure in posting a video on social media of their former winger scoring a goal against Newcastle.
Manchester United players have jumped onto social media channels to thank Ruben Amorim and wish him well for the future after he was sacked in dramatic fashion during an early-morning meeting with club bosses. And while there was clearly lots of warmth towards the exiting manager from most of the squad, there was silence from a few other notable United stars.
Manchester City are potentially at risk of being without key defender Josko Gvardiol for the rest of the season following the injury he sustained in Sunday's 1-1 draw against Chelsea. The Croatian defender had to be helped off the pitch in the second half, in the same game as chief centre-back partner Ruben Dias was also unable to continue, while John Stones is still sidelined.
Liverpool fans will have to wait a little longer to see Mohamed Salah back in the famous red jersey after the Egyptian icon scored for his country to extend their stay at the Africa Cup of Nations. Salah was on the scoresheet in the thrilling 3-1 victory over Benin and now face a quarter-final clash on Saturday, with the Reds due to face Premier League leaders Arsenal this week.
Manchester United are searching for a long-term replacement to Ruben Amorim after sacking their boss, and they are also considering their options for who'll lead the club in the short-term until a permanent manager is found. With Darren Fletcher in charge for now, United are weighing up bringing another club legend back to Old Trafford for the rest of the season.
With Liam Rosenior on course to become Chelsea's new manager, following the shock New Year's Day departure of Enzo Maresca, Premier League legend Wayne Rooney has given a resounding endorsement. The retired ex-Manchester United captain knows the Strasbourg boss pretty well already, having been assisted by him during an 18-month spell at Derby County in 2021 and 2022.
Ruben Amorim has been told he will have to shoulder his portion of blame for the failures of his reign in charge as Manchester United boss. Amorim was informed of his sacking by United chiefs on Monday morning and has come in for stiff criticism, including from reporters in his native Portugal, with the focus on his insistence on sticking with his much-maligned 3-4-3 system.
Just hours after he was sacked by Manchester United, Ruben Amorim put on a brave face and shared a few words with photographers after heading out for a wintry walk with his wife Maria Joao Diogo. The Portuguese boss was given the boot following an explosive attack on United hierarchy and came less than 24 hours after another poor performance in the draw with Leeds United.
Ruben Amorim has become the sixth Manchester United manager to be sacked in less than 13 years, with the Portuguese's hugely disappointing tenure coming to an end on Monday in acrimonious circumstances. Amorim lasted less than 14 months in charge at Old Trafford, making his stint the second-shortest of all the coaches to step into the Old Trafford dugout on a permanent basis.
Manchester United have finally put Ruben Amorim out of his misery. On Monday morning, the 20-time champions of England announced that the Portuguese had "departed his role as head coach" and that the decision had been "reluctantly" made to "give the team the best opportunity of the highest possible Premier League finish". Of course, the table doesn't make for particularly poor reading for United.
Ruben Amorim was sacked by Man United on Monday morning following a disappointing draw with Leeds, but it may have been the Portuguese boss's behaviour leading up to it which prompted his untimely exit from the Old Trafford hot seat, rather than results alone. Amorim sensationally fell out with United chiefs and caused tactical confusion within the squad before the decision to relieve him of his duties.
Edu Gaspar is reportedly fighting to save his job at Nottingham Forest just months into his lucrative £3 million-a-year contract, with the former Arsenal director coming under intense scrutiny from ruthless owner Evangelos Marinakis. The Brazilian’s position is said to be hanging by a thread following a catastrophic breakdown in relations with former boss Nuno Espirito Santo and a disastrous transfer strategy that has left the club staring down the barrel of relegation.
Manchester City are reportedly mulling over a January move for Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi as Pep Guardiola sees injury problems mount at the Etihad Stadium. The Blues are considering dipping into the winter transfer market for reinforcements after two more senior stars picked up knocks in a draw with Chelsea that has rocked their Premier League title aspirations.
Manchester United reportedly made the decision to sack Ruben Amorim ahead of the 1-1 draw with Leeds that proved to be his final game at the helm. It is claimed that the Portuguese “blew up” in a meeting with director of football Jason Wilcox prior to the clash at Elland Road taking place, with that outburst ultimately sealing his fate.
Real Madrid have devised a fresh strategy to lure Rodri away from Manchester City, with the Spanish giants looking to capitalise on the midfielder's stalling contract talks. Los Blancos view the Ballon d'Or winner as the ultimate target to complete their midfield evolution at the Santiago Bernabeu, and startling reports from Spain suggest a blockbuster transfer offensive could be launched.
Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner has reportedly emerged as Manchester United’s “top target” to replace Ruben Amorim. The Red Devils find themselves in the market for a new manager after taking the decision to relieve Portuguese tactician Amorim of his duties. Glasner has impressed in the Premier League at Selhurst Park and is on the radar of those at Old Trafford, although an interim appointment is expected to see out the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign.
Real Madrid have been offered the chance to sign Crystal Palace sensation Adam Wharton, but Los Blancos will face fierce competition for his signature. Premier League giants Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea are all tracking the midfielder, who will reportedly cost at least €70 million and is demanding a huge salary to leave Selhurst Park.
GOAL brings you all the latest on Ruben Amorim's sacking after Manchester United's decision to get rid of their manager following Sunday's 1-1 draw away at bitter rivals Leeds. The Portuguese sent a message to the club's board following the game at Elland Road, insisting he came to Old Trafford 'to be the manager, not the coach', but he now finds himself out of the job entirely after his passionate press conference rant.
The jig is up for Ruben Amorim. After 14 unforgettable months as head coach, he has been sacked by Manchester United. He broke many records for the wrong reasons, lost a European final to Tottenham and was dumped out of the Carabao Cup by fourth-tier side Grimsby Town. Yet it is only now that those upstairs at Old Trafford have decided to pull the trigger.
Ruben Amorim was fighting a losing battle with his own emotions long before the official announcement of his sacking by Manchester United on Monday morning. According to body language expert Darren Stanton, the Portuguese tactician exhibited clear signs of feeling "thrown under the bus" by the club hierarchy during his final, explosive press conference.
Alejandro Garnacho has publicly revelled in Ruben Amorim’s sacking by Manchester United. The Portuguese tactician has been relieved of his duties at Old Trafford as a forgettable 14-month tenure is brought to a close. Garnacho was among those to be frozen out of the Red Devils fold by Amorim, leading to him leaving for Chelsea, and the Argentina international appears to have taken great delight in seeing his former boss dismissed.
It was a mic drop moment that came out of the blue and yet seemed to have been brewing for a long time. Ruben Amorim was getting through a potentially difficult press conference after drawing at Leeds with little fuss, giving the assembled journalists little to feed on. But then came the bombshell moment which has led to him ultimately being sacked just 14 months after taking over at Old Trafford.