United legend delivers “absolutely honest” verdict on Ruben Amorim’s Old Trafford tenure

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 TeamFromToGames PlayedGames WonGames Drawn Games LostWin % Casa Pia1 July 20187 January 2019430175.00 Braga B16 September 201923 December 20191182172.73 Braga23 December 20194 March 202013101276.92 Sporting CP4 March 202010 November 2024231164343371.00 Manchester United11 November 20245 January 20266324182138.10 Career total——322209555864.91 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 The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Deepungsu Pandit Deepungsu has been a Manchester United fan since 2000. In his playing days, he was an attacking midfielder with a proclivity for the back heel. Right now, however, he prefers to operate as a regista. Deepungsu has been writing about the Red Devils, Football, and other things since 2009. He has worked for over seven years with Sportskeeda, writing football reviews, opinions and news articles. Deepungsu also maintains a blog, The Thinking Me, where he writes about life and things that interest him. His favourite Manchester United player is Paul Scholes.