Summary

Your views as Amorim leaves Man Utd

  1. get involved

    Get Involved - 'Sir Alex Ferguson for 6 months'published at 12:39 GMT 5 January

    Click 'Get Involved' to have your say

    Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, to take temp charge?

    Des, Swindon

    The return of the master Sir Alex Ferguson for 6 months. I don’t want him to destroy his legacy though.

    Alec, Wales

    Wayne Rooney as caretaker manager anyone?

    Andrew, Manchester

  2. Postpublished at 12:38 GMT 5 January

    You have been messaging in your thoughts on this breaking story throughout today.

    Let's hear what some of you have to say on the new development that Manchester United are hoping to appoint a caretaker manager until the end of season.

  3. 'It's possible to get a feel good factor back'published at 12:32 GMT 5 January

    Simon Stone
    BBC Sport Manchester United reporter

    It'll be interesting to see how they develop the coaching team - whether Travis Binnion, who is in charge of youth development, whether he'll be part of this coaching group since all of Amorim's staff have gone as well.

    It's possible to get a feel good factor at the club, get it back to its traditions of playing young players, getting the best out of them.

    What I'm pretty certain will happen is that Darren Fletcher will go back to playing four at the back, three in midfield, and three further forward and many, many fans feel like that can deliver results with the current squad.

    They are sixth, but they're only behind Chelsea on goal difference, and we think that fifth will be enough to get Champions League.

    So they're not that far of the pace, and that's the reason why Man Utd have acted.

  4. 'Fans have a right to know what is going on behind the scenes'published at 12:29 GMT 5 January

    Mark Bosnich
    Former Manchester United goalkeeper on BBC Radio 5 Live

    It's happened twice in a week now with Enzo Maresca and I think this model with certain clubs and sporting directors needs to be clarified.

    I remember reading an article about Dan Ashworth where he said the job of a sporting director is to be the centre of the wheel and all the lines going out are the head coach of the men's and women's team and so forth and he has to keep everyone together.

    I've played under managers and I know people who have managed before that wouldn't like to give that type of power to a sporting director and I think the Manchester United fans and the Chelsea fans too have a right to know what is going on behind the scenes and whether it's the sporting director who are making the decisions about recruitment.

    I still believe that if you are going to put your name to be a club and be a manager - people behind the scenes should not be making the decisions and saying to you "you have got to play this person" because if they get sacked, it won't be the sporting director that is going to be sacked or their name on the project.

    This needs to be cleared up and simplified because it is causing a lot of problems.

  5. Man Utd hope to appoint caretaker manager until end of seasonpublished at 12:23 GMT 5 January
    Breaking

    A significant update to bring to you.

    We're hearing that Manchester United hope to appoint a caretaker for the rest of the season and that person won't be Darren Fletcher, who is taking charge of their next match against Burnley on Wednesday.

    United are planning to appoint a permanent manager in the summer.

  6. get involved

    Get Involved - 'Maresca incoming?'published at 12:21 GMT 5 January

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    Maresca from Chelsea to Manchester United?

    Jack, Oxford

    Here comes Maresca…what a twist.

    Ollie, Greenwich

    Feels like Maresca incoming. Everyone had him pegged for the wrong Manchester team!

    Tom, Sheffield

    Stuck with him after a dreadful Premier League campaign, now they’re pushing for the Champions League and with just three losses in 16. It feels odd to pull the plug now, surely you let him build on this season? Unless Maresca is already lined up to come in.

    Toby, Leeds

  7. 'Would any big gun want to manage Man Utd?'published at 12:14 GMT 5 January

    BBC Radio 5 Live

    Jamie Jackson, Manchester United correspondent for the Guardian, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live:

    "If you zoom out, it's a bit of a mess on all sides. I don't think the hierarchy or the executive come out with this very well. Jason Wilcox has a big say over who comes in but he doesn't carry the can for bad results.

    "Moving forward, would any big gun manager want to go there? Someone who expects to have final say on transfers, rather than a committee headed up by Wilcox.

    "Can that work?"

  8. How Amorim's tenure unravelledpublished at 12:10 GMT 5 January

    Ruben AmorimImage source, Getty Images

    It feels as though things have unravelled very quickly at the end of Ruben Amorim's time as Manchester United head coach.

    Speaking after his side's narrow 1-0 Boxing Day win over Newcastle United, Amorim said the time was finally right to tweak his formation to a back four because, if he had changed any sooner amid media pressure to do so, it would have been "the end" for him.

    Before drawing with rock-bottom Wolves at the end of December, Amorim, speaking about the January transfer window, said there was the "potential to do more" in terms of adding players, but accepted: "Sometimes I have one idea and Jason [Wilcox] and the board have another idea, [but] every decision we make, we need to reach a common ground."

    However, speaking on Friday before his side's trip to face Leeds United, Amorim hinted at issues behind the scenes but refused to clarify a comment he made around his transfer budget.

    Then, on Sunday, after the draw at Elland Road, Amorim appeared to challenge Manchester United's hierarchy to let him do his job without interference.

  9. Fletcher to take charge of Man Utdpublished at 12:06 GMT 5 January

    Darren FletcherImage source, Getty Images

    As Simon Stone says below, it will be Darren Fletcher who will take charge of Manchester United against Burnley on Wednesday.

    Former United midfielder Fletcher is currently the under-18s head coach.

    He was also previously the club's technical director between 2021 and 2024, but he has never held a senior coaching position.

    The 41-year-old former Scotland international played for United between 2002 and 2015.

    During that time he won five Premier League titles, along with the 2007-08 Champions League.

  10. 'If it takes time, that's what Man Utd need to do'published at 12:01 GMT 5 January

    Simon Stone
    BBC Sport Manchester United reporter

    Man Utd need to get this right. They need to have a good think about where the club goes. It's ok talking about time. This is modern football. You don't get time.

    Fifteenth last season - that should have been the end of Amorim. If that had been Real Madrid or Barcelona, that wouldn't have just been ten Hag getting the sack, that would have been the guy who followed him getting the sack for those performances as well.

    They need to have a good assessment of the situation. Darren Fletcher is a very capable albeit inexperienced person. He's a United person. He can guide this.

    But they need to get this decision right.

    And if that takes time, then that's what they need to do.

  11. 'Is this sensible?'published at 11:56 GMT 5 January

    BBC Radio 5 Live

    Oliver Kay, senior football writer at the Athletic, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live:

    "If you told me this was going to happen 48 hours ago I'd have been very surprised.

    "I felt that although it's been a really slow progress I felt that Amorim was meandering in roughly the right direction.

    "[Sixth place in the Premier League] is not good enough but I really do question whether yet another change of manager at this point is a sensible idea.

    "It's clear looking from the outside, listening to what Amorim has been saying, that there has been a breakdown in the relationship and that has forced them to see that undeniable but meandering progress in very different light."

  12. 'He never once watched a single age group game'published at 11:52 GMT 5 January

    Simon Stone
    BBC Sport Manchester United reporter

    Already distinctly unimpressed by Amorim’s brutal dismissal of academy players – he never once watched a single age group game - and criticism of senior members of the United squad, it left the 40-year-old in an extremely delicate position heading into the Leeds game.

    His first interaction with the media on Friday, included a thinly disguised admission there were splits behind the scenes. This all erupted after the 1-1 draw at Elland Road, when Amorim launched his final broadside, in his very last answer, which included the statement that he ‘would not quit’.

    That, effectively, meant United had to either back Amorim or sack him. Amorim wanted to be left alone to do his job, free from the unwanted influence of Wilcox.

    But what Amorim felt was interference, United believed was normal feedback, which had been repeatedly resisted.

  13. Postpublished at 11:50 GMT 5 January

    We've been hearing from our Manchester United reporter Simon Stone on this developing story.

    He says that "what Ruben Amorim felt was interference, United believed was normal feedback".

    On Sunday, Amorim hinted that he was not happy with the level of interference from the Man Utd board.

  14. Amorim's reign in stats...published at 11:44 GMT 5 January

    Ruben Amorim departs with the worst Premier League win record of any Manchester United manager in the club's history.

    The Portuguese' final win ratio stands at just 32%, while he also recorded the worst goals conceded per game ratio (1.53) and the lowest clean ratio (15%) of any Manchester United manager in the competition.

    In Manchester United's entire top-flight history, only five managers have performed worse than Amorim.

    And of the 17 ever-present Premier League sides during Amorim's stay at Old Trafford, only three teams - Tottenham, West Ham and Wolves - have won fewer points.

    Ruben AmorimImage source, Getty Images
  15. 'Confusing and unimpressive'published at 11:40 GMT 5 January

    BBC Radio 5 Live

    Oliver Kay, senior football writer at the Athletic, speaking to BBC Radio 5 Live:

    "When Ineos and Jim Ratcliffe came in two years ago they talked about a clean break from the muddled, flawed, confused decision-making of the previous eleven years, and for me - they've just continued.

    "It's been more of the same. Reactive. Slow to spot trends. Making appointments without really appearing to know what they're doing.

    "To suddenly be questioning internally the Amorim strategy rather than just results... They seemed to accept his formation, his adherence to a three-man central defence for most of the past 14 months.

    "And suddenly, the progress they've made is suddenly unacceptable.

    "I find it confusing and unimpressive."

  16. Amorim sacked - what has happened so far?published at 11:35 GMT 5 January

    After a recap?

    Manchester United have sacked manager Ruben Amorim after 14 months in charge.

    Manchester United said in a statement the decision has been made "reluctantly" and "it is the right time to make a change".

    The team are currently sixth in the Premier League table. Sources have told BBC Sport that the club felt there had not been sufficient evidence of evolution or progress this season under Amorim.

    On Sunday, Amorim hinted he was not happy with the level of interference from the Manchester United board.

    Read a full timeline of Amorim's stint as Manchester United manager.

  17. Watch live: BBC Sport streampublished at 11:29 GMT 5 January

    We have just started a special BBC Sport live stream on Ruben Amorim's sacking, where our presenters are talking to experts, players and supporters.

    You can watch it by clicking the play icon at top of this page.

  18. 'The situation had become untenable'published at 11:25 GMT 5 January

    Simon Stone
    BBC Sport Manchester United reporter

    The situation had become untenable. However, United are sixth, in line with pre-season expectations and with a squad many, both inside Old Trafford and out, thought could deliver much better results than they had been getting with a few simple tactical tweaks.

    On Monday morning at Carrington, Wilcox and chief executive Omar Berrada told Amorim he had been relieved of his duties.

    Darren Fletcher’s appointment as interim boss makes sense.

    The former United and Scotland midfielder has held numerous roles, technical and coaching, since his return to the club and was appointed as Under-18s coach in the summer, where he has impressed by making sure talented players do the basics properly.

    Tellingly, he also plays with four at the back and uses wide players in what tends to be a 4-3-3 formation.

    However, he waited to take the Under-18s job until his twin sons Jack and Tyler had moved out of the group because he wanted to avoid a conflict of interest.

    It is a quirk of timing Fletcher is now going to lead a group Jack and Tyler are currently a part after injuries and international calls decimated Amorim’s squad.

  19. get involved

    Get Involved - 'Should have gone weeks ago'published at 11:20 GMT 5 January

    Click 'Get Involved' to have your say

    Should have gone weeks ago just one excuse to another just hope we get a decent manager and one we have never heard off.

    Andy, Manchester

    Very harsh. Man U seem to have forgotten they brought him in when he and the club weren’t ready- the squad were woeful and the atmosphere was toxic. If I was Amorim I’d breath a sigh of relief.

    Stephen, Bedlington

    Souless, joyless football. A repetitive manager on and off the pitch. He brought high cost, no point football. Won't be missed.

    David, Barnstaple

    Huge relief! Out of his depth and clearly given up.

    Vishal, London

  20. 'Here for a long time'published at 11:15 GMT 5 January

    In an interview with BBC Sports editor Dan Roan in March 2025, Sir Jim Ratcliffe stated that he sensed a long future for Ruben Amorim at Manchester United.

    "It's not that we have to stick with Ruben," Ratcliffe said.

    "I think Ruben is an outstanding young manager. I really do.

    "He's an excellent manager and I think he will be there for a long time."

    Sir Jim RatcliffeImage source, Getty Images