Former Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim’s 14-month tenure at the Theatre of Dreams was arguably one of the darkest chapters in the club’s recent history. The Portuguese generated high hopes after arriving from Sporting but failed to deliver on his promises.
Amorim became a household name during his time with the Primeira Liga club. Sporting was in tatters when he took charge in 2020, but the Portuguese soon proved to be their saviour.
Amorim brought stability and identity to the team, and went on to transform their fortunes. He helped them win the league twice during his four-year stay, all the while playing exciting, attacking football.
His efforts caught INEOS’ eye, and with Erik ten Hag struggling to impress in his third season, United made a major decision. The Red Devils opted to replace the Dutchman with Amorim, hoping that the Portuguese could help usher in a new era at the Theatre of Dreams.
Amorim’s Old Trafford tenure
Amorim brought his 3-4-3 system to Old Trafford but never managed to implement it successfully. As the Portuguese struggled to get his ideas on the pitch during the first few months of his tenure, United finished 15th in the Premier League table and lost the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur.
INEOS opted to keep their trust in the former Sporting manager over the summer, and even backed him in the transfer market. The Red Devils oversaw a mass exodus, with the likes of Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, and Antony being shown the door, while over £200 million was invested in the squad.
While United did show improvement on the pitch, particularly in attack, results failed to pick up. The Red Devils ultimately lost their patience and parted ways with Amorim in January, with Michael Carrick appointed as caretaker manager until the end of the season.
Ruben Amorim Managerial Stats
Team From To Games Played Games Won Games Drawn Games Lost Win %
Casa Pia 1 July 2018 7 January 2019 4 3 0 1 75.00
Braga B 16 September 2019 23 December 2019 11 8 2 1 72.73
Braga 23 December 2019 4 March 2020 13 10 1 2 76.92
Sporting CP 4 March 2020 10 November 2024 231 164 34 33 71.00
Manchester United 11 November 2024 5 January 2026 63 24 18 21 38.10
Career total — — 322 209 55 58 64.91
Source: Wikipedia.
United have rediscovered their mojo under the English manager, winning seven of their last ten Premier League games and now sit in third place in the league table. Former Red Devils winger Lee Sharpe, however, believes that Amorim also deserves credit for some of the work done during his tenure.
Amorim was close to salvation
Speaking on the Let Me Be Frank podcast, Sharpe insisted that Amorim was not too far away from getting it right at the Theatre of Dreams. He said: “Yeah, I still keep an eye on it and I still watch them from time to time. I don’t think Ruben Amorim was a million miles away, if I’m absolutely honest.”
“I think if you look at the stats, they created more chances than any other team in the league while he was there. They just couldn’t put them away. I think the formation was a little bit weird, and changing centre-halves during games was a little bit of a weird tactic that he liked to do.”
Sharpe went on to praise Amorim for clearing the deadwood and bringing discipline to United, adding: “I think he siphoned a little bit of drivel and a little bit of trouble out of the club. I think he brought in a discipline and a sort of an ethos, let’s say, that the club was lacking.”
Final Thoughts
Amorim masterminded a highly successful summer of 2025 during which he made several very important changes to the squad. However, the Portuguese’s spell at United will largely be remembered as one of chaos and disappointment.
Feature image Ben Roberts Photo via Getty Images
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