Hargreaves: Mainu not playing under Amorim for a year ‘shocking’
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Candido, who also worked with Amorim at Braga and Sporting CP, said he believed more could have been done to incorporate Amorim’s ideas.
“What I liked less was definitely the feeling that our ideas were not fully implemented.”
Amorim played 47 games for United in the Premier League, winning just 15 and winning just 31.9%. According to Opta, this is the lowest winning percentage of any permanent United manager in the Premier League.
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‘He’s a top manager’ – Guardiola reacts to Amorim’s firing
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A breakdown in the relationship between Amorim and director of football Jason Wilcox was said to be a factor in the Portuguese manager’s sacking earlier this year.
Following the draw against Leeds United in his final game as manager, Amorim said he may “move on” once his 18-month contract ends.
“I came here to be the manager of Manchester United, not to be the coach of Manchester United,” Amorim said. “That’s clear. I know my name is not[Thomas]Tuchel,[José]Mourinho or[Antonio]Conte, but I am the manager.
“This will continue for 18 months, or until the board decides to make a change. I’m not quitting. I’m going to work until someone else comes here to replace me.”
Amorim joined United in November 2024, with the club reportedly paying £9 million to hire him from Sporting. With Sporting, he won the Primeira Liga title twice, in 2021 and 2024, and also won the Taca da Liga twice.
In his first season at United, Amorim finished worst in the Premier League, finishing 15th last season with just 42 points. United also lost to Tottenham Hotspur in the UEFA Europa League final in Bilbao, missing out on a European football title for the first time since 2014.
United were sixth in the table when Amorim was sacked, but he had come under criticism for tactical inflexibility during his time at the club, preferring a 3-4-3 set-up and, although he found success at Sporting, he had little success at Old Trafford.
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‘We need to win a lot’ – Arsenal manager Arteta says Amorim’s departure from Manchester United is ‘sad’
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Candido is a key member of Amorim’s young backroom staff and he believes their relative lack of experience at the top level has been a plus.
“I think the fact that we were young helped us cope with the pressure. It was a positive working environment overall,” he said.
“It’s normal for coaching staffs to get more frustrated when there’s so much pressure on them, but that wasn’t the case for us.”
Candido said his stay in Manchester ended prematurely, but the full impact of that period remains to be seen.
“Only in the future will we know whether this departure was good or bad for our careers,” he said.
