Ruben Amorim has not shied away from making bold decisions as the head coach of Manchester United.
Since arriving in November, Ruben Amorim knew it was going to be a tough ask to arrive at Manchester United and change the playing style halfway through the season.
However, Amorim has stubbornly stuck to his tactics at Old Trafford despite the poor results.
The Europa League final defeat to Tottenham means United will record their lowest-ever Premier League finish and end the season trophyless.
It also sets the Red Devils up for a difficult summer window, and Amorim wasted no time in making it clear that Alejandro Garnacho will be part of the squad overhaul.
Photo by Alberto Gardin/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images
Photo by Alberto Gardin/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images
Ruben Amorim learns from Sir Alex Ferguson ‘player power’ warning
Just days after the Europa League final, reports confirmed that Amorim has told Garnacho to find a new club, with the Argentine winger now set to leave in the summer.
United have already made a mistake in Garnacho’s transfer by weakening their position in the market. Clubs are already aware he will leave, making it more difficult to negotiate a bigger transfer fee.
But Amorim clearly felt that Garnacho leaving is necessary to start his rebuild with United. He took a page out of Sir Alex Ferguson’s book.
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In 2013, after retiring as United manager, Ferguson spoke about the troubles of player power and how it must be avoided at all costs as a head coach.
Speaking to Harvard Business Review, Ferguson said: “If the day came that the manager of Manchester United was controlled by the players—in other words, if the players decided how the training should be, what days they should have off, what the discipline should be, and what the tactics should be—then Manchester United would not be the Manchester United we know.
“Before I came to United, I told myself I wasn’t going to allow anyone to be stronger than I was. Your personality has to be bigger than theirs. That is vital.
“There are occasions when you have to ask yourself whether certain players are affecting the dressing-room atmosphere, the performance of the team, and your control of the players and staff. If they are, you have to cut the cord.
“There is absolutely no other way. It doesn’t matter if the person is the best player in the world. The long-term view of the club is more important than any individual, and the manager has to be the most important one in the club.”
Sadly, everything Ferguson warned about has become true at Old Trafford over the last decade. Amorim has made it a top priority to simply remove players who have shown a negative attitude. Unfortunately, that is precisely what Garnacho did after the final.
What Alejandro Garnacho said after the Europa League final
Earlier this season, Amorim heavily criticised Marcus Rashford’s attitude in training and he was quickly shown the door and loaned out to Aston Villa.
When Garnacho stormed down the Old Trafford tunnel in February, Amorim defended his winger and spoke with him about how he must act in a United shirt.
However, Garnacho’s comments after the Europa League final appeared to undermine Amorim and his team selection in Bilbao.
“I played every round to help the team reach the final, and today I only got 20 minutes… I don’t know,” Garnacho said. “I’m going to try to enjoy the summer and see what happens next.”
READ MORE: Gary Neville highlights Garnacho error and says Manchester United teammate ‘can’t control a ball’
Since then, transfer expert Fabrizio Romano suggested that the relationship between Garnacho and Amorim has been “difficult”.
It now seems inevitable that he will head for the exit.