Ruben Amorim has found himself in the warmest hotseat in the country for the past 12 months at Manchester United, as Mirror Football reflects on his first year at Old Trafford
A smiling Ruben Amorim arrived at Manchester United 12 months ago, admitting he likes to dream. But it didn’t take long for the Portuguese to realize that they were living a nightmare.
Amorim’s honeymoon may be the shortest in living memory. Portman Road was packed to watch his first game as manager when United traveled to play Ipswich Town.
And when Marcus Rashford scored just 81 seconds later following an audacious and sensational move that tore Ipswich to shreds, members of the media looked at each other in the press box as if United had hit the manager jackpot.
Then everything started going wrong. United were unable to win that match and returned home after a disappointing 1-1 draw. Bonfire night has passed, but the fires are starting to burn at United. And for months Amorim continued to pour gasoline on it.
Extremely stubborn, Amorim maintained his tactical beliefs and obsession with how football should be played. The problem was that the players didn’t have the ability or desire to carry out his instructions.
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Between Christmas and New Year 2024, United went six games without a win. Since April 1, United have gone seven games without a win and their form has worsened.
And the biggest fool at Old Trafford seemed to be Amorim and his appointee, Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Even if he refused, Amorim had a reliable excuse.
He didn’t want to take the job during the season, but he took the job. He had hoped to start the role in the summer of 2025, as there was no pre-season to play with the team.
But Ratcliffe was stubborn. And to make matters worse, Amorim inherited a team that, without his knowledge, had become toxic from within.
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As a result, United failed to win a silver medal or even qualify for Europe, leading to speculation that Amorim would be sacked, and Amorim himself having to prevent five players who wanted to leave from returning to pre-season training.
That “bomb squad” coincidentally included Rashford. He is the man who handed Amorim the start of that dream in Suffolk a few months ago. Rashford left alongside the likes of Jadon Sancho and Alejandro Garnacho.
Amorim may have felt at times burdened with thankless tasks, but he was no prisoner when it came to ridding United of divisive influences. He was always honest. Maybe that’s too honest.
He warned his supporters that more challenges lie ahead. He claimed his United side could be the worst team in history, are battling relegation and feels “embarrassed” to have been responsible for so many defeats.
Amorim even offered to resign if he thought Ratcliffe & Co. had made a big mistake. But Ratcliffe was determined. He revealed how long it would take Amorim to bring the English giants back to greatness.
And on the first anniversary of his death, Amorim showed real signs that he had turned a corner. Happier times await. He led to a stunning victory over champions Liverpool at Anfield.
And after three successive league wins, United have surpassed their rivals and are now sixth in the table, just six points behind leaders Arsenal. It was truly a roller coaster journey.
There have been far more lows than highs, and everyone associated with United has been quite nauseating at times. But Amorim at least showed he had the stamina for the fight ahead.
And from the wreckage of the past 12 months and beyond, it appears he’s building something that might make all the pain he’s been through worth it.
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