The Athletic expose the shocking events that led to Amorim’s dismissal from United

After a tumultuous last couple of days, things finally came to a head at Manchester United on Friday. After struggling to a disappointing draw at home against bottom club Wolverhampton Wanderers while playing in Ruben Amorim’s preferred 3-4-2-1 system, Jason Wilcox was forced to intervene. As per The Athletic, the director of football suggested to the head coach during a one-on-one meeting at Carrington on Friday that he should revert to a four-man backline instead of playing with three at the back. The article makes it clear that Amorim is not particularly fond of people who criticise his system, and the meeting soon turned fiery. Ruben Amorim and Jason Wilcox’s heated meeting Wilcox further mentioned how the players were looking confused while playing his way, especially as the players were often drilled as a back-four during training only to start the game with a back three. Many players also felt Amorim did not fully trust them. The Portuguese tactician claimed those players needed to be changed, to which Wilcox suggested that wholesale changes would happen but it would take time. Then came the bombshell: Amorim, not happy with interference and lack of help, said he wanted to quit and would talk to his agent regarding the same. Subsequently, the team meeting set to held later that day was cancelled. “Although the seeds of Amorim’s demise at Manchester United were sewn at various stages, the ground finally fell from beneath him during a tempestuous encounter with Wilcox on Friday. Amorim rages, asks to quit “Amorim, people at United would argue, was the catalyst, erupting when discussion turned to tactics and transfers. Amorim had sensed a creep onto his territory during recent weeks and the result has been described, by sources close to the club, as a “massive fall-out” between the pair. “In their face-to-face meeting at Carrington, Wilcox suggested to Amorim that the players were struggling to gain trust in his 3-4-2-1 system and had become confused over his vision. Amorim would train the team in a back four, only for a back three to be selected in games. They also sensed he lacked faith in them due to his selections and public statements. “Amorim responded that the players needed to be changed. Wilcox said he wanted to work through the issues, evolving the squad over time but sticking with Amorim. Amorim reacted by saying he wished to leave the club and would be calling his agent. “The repercussions were so seismic that a meeting between Amorim and his squad, scheduled to take place afterwards, was cancelled.” Sir Jim was also not a fan of Amorim’s style Interestingly, Sir Jim Ratcliffe was also not a fan of Amorim’s style, and had instructed Wilcox to ensure there are changes to the system. That made the situation even more delicate, and the disastrous Wolves display finally forced that fateful meeting at Carrington that finally led to the eventual sack. Wilcox is also said to not be a fan of Amorim’s vision, but the head coach had promised to change as time went by. But those simply did not arrive. The Newcastle win was supposed to be the catalyst for a positive change, but Amorim’s adamant stance cost the club against the team from Molineux. The Wolves game sealed Amorim’s fate “Ratcliffe has made his desire for United to switch to a back four clear and it is felt Wilcox has increased his efforts to persuade Amorim to show more flexibility. United insiders say an evolution was always part of the plan, with Amorim telling officials at the outset he wanted to start with a back three, but would add layers once players better understood his methods. “But with Ratcliffe having opinions on the team, things became more delicate. Handling Ratcliffe’s input is one of Wilcox’s major tasks. “But when Amorim reverted to his 3-4-2-1 for Wolves’ visit, the half-time substitution of Joshua Zirkzee, one of his few senior attackers, concerned members of United’s hierarchy.” Interestingly, Ruben Amorim did shift to a four-man backline after yet another failed experiment at Elland Road. That paid dividends, further infuriating the head coach whose post-match comments sealed his exit. Feature image Shaun Botterill 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 Ayantan Chowdhury After failing to become a professional footballer, Ayantan switched to the next best thing: writing about the greatest football club in the world. He has extensive sports journalism experience, having worked for over 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25