Amorim sack ‘inevitable’ as shocking managers who solved his ‘big problem’ at Manchester United revealed

Matt Stead 30 Sep 2025 1:32 PM

Ruben Amorim has been a "disaster" - but not just in the context of Manchester United

Ruben Amorim ‘has been a disaster for Manchester United’. But there is a collective need to realise just how bad; this reign would be abysmal for any club.

The Premier League table since the Portuguese was appointed last November has Manchester United ahead of only Spurs of the ever-present top-flight teams in that time.

They have picked up a point more than the north Londoners, who changed managers in the summer after the shame of only beating this Manchester United side 1-0 in the Europa League final.

The two clubs immediately above them in that table – West Ham and Wolves – have also sacked their coaches for underperformance, but on Manchester United plough with a manager who has spent three of his 323 days in charge in the top half.

It is a ludicrous lowering of the bar at a club which before this season had never finished lower than 8th – and for most that alone would have been enough to part ways with Erik ten Hag earlier than they did.

During a Monday Night Football segment on Sky Sports dissecting the numbers behind what Jamie Carragher called a “disaster” of a reign, the extent of Amorim’s failure was revealed.

“You’re talking about Manchester United, one of the biggest clubs in the world. Let’s be fair, he’s a lucky, lucky boy still to be in a job,” said Duncan Ferguson.

“I think he’s got a bit of credit on what he did last year, coming to Man United when they were struggling, so he came last year and didn’t really want to come last season. I think they’ve given him a wee bit of credit in the bank there.

“But for a team like Man United…you see the stats, the stats are there for all to see. So he’s very lucky to stay in his job. But hopefully he gets another few games, you always want managers to stay in their jobs and be successful. But that’s not good enough.”

Carragher shifted the responsibility onto the silent executive team at Manchester United who chose Amorim and continue to back him in spite of all available evidence.

“I think he is still in a job because I think the powers that be at Manchester United have made that many mistakes so far with the decisions they have made on and off the pitch that they do not want to admit right now that they have made another,” he said.

“This has been a disaster for Manchester United but also for Ruben Amorim. What he did at Sporting Lisbon was fantastic. He looked like the next big thing as a manager. But bringing a manager like that in with the system he plays I don’t think ever suited a club like Manchester United with the traditions at Manchester United.

“The quicker they make the decision on the manager the better for everybody because like I said it has been a disaster for the club and the manager. We are just waiting for the inevitable, unfortunately, because you don’t want people to lose their jobs. But this has to end as quickly as possible.”

And it has “been a disaster for Manchester United”. But perhaps the entire world is guilty of overlooking the degree to which this has gone wrong. This is not just Manchester United bad; this is historically Premier League bad.

This was the starkest graphic used in the autopsy of Amorim:

📊 | Out of all Premier League managers to take charge of at least 33 games, Ruben Amorim has the sixth-lowest points tally. [@SkySportsPL] pic.twitter.com/y1EslUzaso

— UtdDistrict (@UtdDistrict) September 30, 2025

In terms of Manchester United not even David Moyes (57 points from 33 games) comes close. This is sustained relegation form and among the worst starts to a managerial reign in the entire 33-year history of the Premier League.

These are the reigns Amorim is in the uncomfortable vicinity of.

The worst ever starts by Premier League managers after 33 games

Continuous Premier League reigns only, so no promotions or relegations in between.

David Moyes at Sunderland, 2016-17 – 21 points
(W5 D6 L22 F26 A59 GD -33, resigned after relegation)

Steve Kean at Blackburn, 2010-11 – 29 points
(W6 D10 L17 F40 A61 GD -21, resigned after relegation)

Bryan Robson at West Brom, 2004-05 – 30 points
(W6 D12 L15 F32 A52 GD -20, resigned after relegation)

Roberto Martinez at Wigan, 2012-13, 31 points
(W8 D7 L18 F30 A64 GD -34, left for Everton after relegation)

Alan Ball at Manchester City, 1995-96, 31 points
(W7 D10 L16 F27 A50 GD -23, resigned after relegation)

Dave Merrington at Southampton, 1995-96, 31 points
(W7 D10 L16 F30 A47 GD -17, sacked after one season)

Graeme Souness at Southampton, 1996-97, 31 points
(W7 D10 L16 F43 A53 GD -10, resigned after one season)

Egil Olsen at Wimbledon, 1999-2000, 32 points
(W7 D11 L15 F43 A63 GD -20, sacked before relegation)

Avram Grant at West Ham, 2010-11, 32 points
(W7 D11 L15 F39 A58 GD -19, sacked after relegation)

Frank Lampard at Everton, 2022, 34 points
(W9 D7 L17 F30 A48 GD -18, sacked after less than a year)

Ron Atkinson at Coventry, 1995, 34 points
(W8 D10 L15 F42 A58 GD -16, stepped up to Director of Football role after 21 months)

Ruben Amorim at Manchester United, 2024-25, 34 points
(W9 D7 L17 F39 A53 GD -14, somehow still in job)

Harry Redknapp at West Ham, 1994-95, 34 points
(W9 D7 L17 F31 A44 GD -13, stayed until 2001)

Walter Smith at Everton, 1998-99, 34 points
(W8 D10 L15 F28 A40 GD -12, stayed until 2002)

Paul Clement at Swansea, 2017, 35 points
(W10 D5 L18 F30 A43 GD -13, sacked before relegation)

David Pleat at Sheffield Wednesday, 1995-95, 35 points
(W9 D8 L16 F44 A54 GD -10, stayed until 1997)

Gary Megson at Bolton, 2007-08, 36 points
(W9 D9 L15 F32 A45 GD -13, stayed until 2009)

Shocking Premier League reigns which can match Amorim’s United PPG

In terms of strict points-per-game, the 1.03 Amorim has mustered is equal to that of five other Premier League manager reigns. And again, they are not particularly flattering:

Ian Holloway at Blackpool, 2010-11, 39 points from 38 games

Ian Branfoot at Southampton, 1992-94, 68 points from 66 games

Jesse Marsch at Leeds, 2022-23, 33 points from 32 games

Ron Atkinson at Coventry, 1995-96, 65 points from 63 games

Roberto Martinez at Wigan, 2009-13, 157 points from 152 games

Shocking Premier League reigns which can beat Amorim’s United PPG

These are the Premier League reigns, from underwhelming to forgettable and downright poor, which beat Amorim’s current PPG:

Roberto Di Matteo at West Brom, 2009-10, 26 points from 25 games

Lennie Lawrence at Middlesbrough, 1992-93, 44 points from 42 games

Gus Poyet at Sunderland, 2013-15, 63 points from 60 games

John Lyall at Ipswich, 1992-94, 105 points from 100 games

Walter Mazzarri at Watford, 2016-17, 40 points from 38 games

Gareth Southgate at Middlesbrough, 2006-09, 120 points from 114 games

‘We have a big problem’

Perhaps the most astonishing statistic to capture the absurdity of Amorim’s Manchester United reign is that he has never recorded back-to-back Premier League wins.

Another opportunity passed him by with the surrender to Brentford, before which he admitted that the talk of needing to secure consecutive victories “was everywhere” around the training ground.

“Since we started the first training session, we started talking about that,” he said in the build-up to that 3-1 defeat. “We need to keep up the momentum of the club.

“It’s just two games. I think we as a team, if we don’t take advantage of this momentum now, we have a big problem. We are not talking about winning ten. It should not be a big thing for Manchester United, but I think it’s going to help us a lot if we win, then the feeling will change and we will be talking about the third one.

“That is something that can change the environment we are living in for a while. The opportunity that we have to win the next game. The responsibility is on us.

“It is really hard. I struggle without that feeling of winning and for it to be normal to win, but I understand it’s a different club, different pressure and a completely different league. The players struggle too, but it’s in our hands to change things.”

Again, there is a need to properly contextualise Amorim managing 33 Premier League games and having a best win streak of one. That is not just historically Manchester United awful; that is a diabolical record for any club.

These pilloried coaches, often named among the worst in Premier League history, have done something beyond the capabilities of a manager backed with a squad which cost damn near £1billion to assemble.

Shocking Premier League managers with a better win streak than Amorim

Rob Edwards with Luton – beat Newcastle 1-0 and Sheffield United 3-2 in December 2023

Ruud van Nistelrooy with Manchester United (beat Leicester 3-0) and Leicester (beat West Ham 3-1) in November and December 2024

Felix Magath with Fulham – beat Aston Villa 2-1 and Norwich 1-0 in April 2014

Paolo Di Canio with Sunderland – beat Newcastle 3-0 and Everton 1-0 in April 2013

Ricky Sbragia with Sunderland – beat West Brom 4-0 and Hull 4-1 in December 2008

Paul Ince with Blackburn – beat Fulham 1-0 and Newcastle 2-1 in September 2008

Nigel Worthington with Norwich – beat Newcastle 2-1 and Charlton 1-0 in April 2005

Velimir Zajec with Portsmouth – beat Bolton 1-0 and West Brom 3-2 in November and December 2004

Iain Dowie with Crystal Palace – beat West Brom 3-0 and Birmingham 1-0 in October 2004

Eddie Gray with Leeds – beat Leicester 3-2 and Blackburn 2-1 in April 2004

David Wagner won two consecutive Premier League games twice with Huddersfield

Felix Magath. Ricky Sbragia. Paul Ince! Velimir sodding Zajec! These are the names the actual Manchester United manager is adjacent to, whose achievements he cannot match even with ridiculous in-built advantages.

As Mick McCarthy, who won two consecutive Premier League games four times with Wolves, once responded to someone asking whether his side’s dreadful run of form can continue: “It can.”

He left Blackpool by mutual consent two months later, shortly before they were relegated. It remains painfully unclear quite what would force that sort of “inevitable” divorce between Amorim and Manchester United.

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