“Football is like this”: Amorim’s successor explains why he still has a bright future ahead of him despite United sack

Manchester United ended Ruben Amorim’s nightmare run at Old Trafford this week following the 1-1 draw against Leeds United in the Premier League on Sunday, 4 November, at Elland Road. The Red Devils remain sixth in the league table after 20 games, just three points behind Liverpool in fourth. As such, they remain on course for a top-four finish this season, although things may not be as rosy as they appear. United are already 17 points behind leaders Arsenal, and just four points ahead of 14th-placed Crystal Palace at present. They have won eight and drawn seven in the league this season, dropping 12 points from winning positions already. The Red Devils have now acted swiftly to try and salvage the season. Darren Fletcher is set to be in charge for the midweek game against Burnley as the English giants look for their next manager. Several candidates linked to the job Amorim’s job has been under scrutiny for a while following a mixed tenure at the Theatre of Dreams. Several managers have been named as possible replacements in recent months, and those rumours have intensified in the past 24 hours. Crystal Palace boss Oliver Glasner is reportedly among the favourites for the job, while United legend Rio Ferdinand has named his four-man shortlist for the role. Enzo Maresca, who was recently sacked by Chelsea, has been mentioned as an option. Former Bayern Munich boss and current Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann has also been linked with the hot seat at Old Trafford. Ruben Amorim Managerial Stats TeamFromToGames PlayedGames WonGames DrawnGames 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 Amorim registered just 24 wins in his 63-match tenure with United, managing a win ratio of 38.10%, the lowest of his managerial career. He has now received support from a fellow manager. Rui Borges sympathises with Amorim Rui Borges took over at Sporting in December 2024 from Joao Pereira, who had initially replaced Amorim at the Estadio Jose Alvalade. He has since registered 38 wins from 57 matches with the Portuguese club, with a 66.67% win ratio. Speaking following Amorim’s dismissal, as cited by O Jogo via Sport Witness, Borges said: “I am supportive of Rúben [Amorim]. Unfortunately, football is like this.” “I will not talk much about it, but I am supportive because he is a colleague of the profession. He left the club in sixth place. Despite everything, he is a great coach and he will certainly have great projects and great clubs in the future.” Final Thoughts Amorim enjoyed a tremendous rise with Sporting, establishing himself as one of the most promising young managers in the world. While he failed to live up to expectations at the Theatre of Dreams, the stint is likely to be a learning experience for the Portuguese, who still has a long managerial career ahead of him. Featured image Warren Little 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.