Reflecting on his Old Trafford exit, the AC Milan boss breaks his silence on tactical stubbornness and the personal failings that derailed his Manchester United tenure.
Could Michael Carrick bring the Man United of the past back.
moreVideos
When Ruben Amorim was appointed as Manchester United manager, optimism filled the club. Not only was it seen as a coup to bring one of the most highly regarded young coaches in Europe, but it was also seen as preventing him from going elsewhere, like Manchester City.
However, the Portuguese manager's time at United never really got going after losing the Europa League final to Spurs and finishing 15th in the 24/25 season.
After a positive transfer window bringing in Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko and Senne Lammens, and some good performances, ultimately Amorim's system and personality never truly gelled at Old Trafford.
Soon after being sacked, Michael Carrick picked up the pieces as the club finished third and made the former midfielder the permanent manager.
One of the main issues surrounding Amorim and why his relationship with the club, fans and media was not always smooth sailing was his stubbornness and very rarely admitting mistakes in the media.
Not only was he so tightly wedded to his style of play and 3-4-2-1 system, but when he did eventually change the system, which yielded some results, he instantly reverted to draws against Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leeds United.
Now the manager of AC Milan, Amorim has opened up about how he reflected on his time in Manchester.
He said (quotes via Manchester Evening News): "I learned a lot. It would be hard to point to one thing, but the important thing that I clearly know is that I made a lot of mistakes.
"When you do this kind of reflection, and you understand that it was not just their fault, but also my fault, I think you can be a better coach and a better man."
Now one of the darkest chapters under Erik Ten Hag and Amorim from 2023 - 2025 is over, the club now need to work on cementing their place back among Europe's elite.
Whether it was Jose Mourinho or Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, when the club finished in the top four, they were never truly backed with the players or the squad they needed to compete in the Premier League.
Now, with all the major managerial and player changes in the Premier League, an opportunity has arisen for Carrick's side to surprise the league and potentially push Arsenal.
For that to happen, Carrick needs the best quality tools at his disposal. While the midfield situation has almost been addressed, the club have not got that true defensive midfielder, which may become a problem as the season progresses if the club goes on without one.
Furthermore, there are other holes in the squad, like left back, backup striker and maybe even a centre-back. Signing all of these players will be unrealistic, but for Carrick to have the best possible chance next season, bringing in some of those options is needed to compete on all fronts.
1