Revealed: Ruben Amorim 'knew Man Utd wouldn't win from watching how players tied their laces' & expressed fears the club was 'broken'

In the wake of United's 1-1 draw at Leeds United on Sunday, Amorim insisted he was the "manager and not the coach" at the club, while seemingly taking aim at the board for meddling in his affairs. 

He told reporters, "I came here to be the manager of Manchester United, not to be the head coach. I know my name is not [Antonio] Conte, [Thomas] Tuchel, or [Jose] Mourinho but I'm the manager of Manchester United. It's going to be like this for 18 months or until the board decide to change. I'm not going to quit. I'll do my job until another guy is coming here to replace me."

Despite being in the top six, it seems those comments were the final straw for United, who dismissed the ex-Sporting CP boss on Monday. 

A statement read: "Ruben Amorim has departed his role as head coach of Manchester United. Ruben was appointed in November 2024 and led the team to a UEFA Europa League Final in Bilbao in May. With Manchester United sitting sixth in the Premier League, the club’s leadership has reluctantly made the decision that it is the right time to make a change. This will give the team the best opportunity of the highest possible Premier League finish. The club would like to thank Ruben for his contribution to the club and wishes him well for the future."

According to ESPN, all was not well for a long time with Amorim and United behind the scenes. In January 2025, Amorim reportedly had to be talked into staying at the club after a poor run of form, and a month later, he claimed to know that United wouldn't win a match 'just by watching how his players tied their laces before the warmup'. In the same conversation with one source, the ex-midfielder admitted his fear that the club was 'broken' and that the players he had inherited were so 'fragile'. Amorim was said to be shocked at the team's lack of physicality, with the Portuguese becoming 'irate' at how often they lost one-on-one duels. Moreover, when he said that this United team may be the "worst" in the club's 147-year history, naturally, that did not go down well with his squad. Further criticism of 2025 signings Benjamin Sesko and Patrick Dorgu, and academy players left many unimpressed, too.

According to reports in Norway, United are in contract talks with club legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer about a return to Old Trafford. The Norwegian managed the Red Devils between 2018-21 before being sacked and now talk has surfaced that he may succeed Amorim. The 52-year-old could even be back in the dugout by Friday, with Solskjaer previously saying he would welcome the chance to return to his old stomping ground. 

In a Q&A at the Oslo Business Forum in September 2024, he said: "If the family [United] asks, I would say yes every day of the week. It feels wrong to talk about jobs that other people have now, but I would say yes, of course."

Following Amorim's exit, United confirmed that under-18 coach Darren Fletcher will take charge of their Premier League clash away at Burnley on Wednesday night. As Amorim prepares to return to Portugal, it remains to be seen if Solskjaer will be in charge by the weekend. If appointed, it is not yet known how long he could be at the helm.