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Ruben Amorim was sacked by Manchester United after 63 games in charge, with several figures at Old Trafford benefiting from his departure while others face scrutiny. Kobbie Mainoo stands to gain most from the managerial change, having been frozen out despite his previous success, while Dan Ashworth’s earlier concerns about the appointment appear vindicated.
Mainoo Set to Benefit Most as Amorim Departure Creates Winners and Losers
Kobbie Mainoo emerges as the biggest winner from Amorim’s dismissal after being marginalised throughout this season despite his previous achievements. The England international had not received a Premier League start under Amorim, with only a match against Grimsby seeing him play longer than 45 minutes. This treatment came just 18 months after Mainoo started a European Championship final and delivered a match-winning performance in the FA Cup final.
Amorim had described Mainoo as “the future of Manchester United” in December, telling him he needed to “wait for his chance” as “everything can change in football in two days”. The 20-year-old midfielder maintained his professionalism throughout his exile, with one regrettable exception from his entourage, and now faces the prospect of returning to first-team contention under interim manager Darren Fletcher, who is thought to favour the academy graduate.
Dan Ashworth also benefits retrospectively from Amorim’s failure, having been dismissed as sporting director partly due to his reservations about the Portuguese coach’s appointment. Ashworth had suggested there might be better candidates than “a tactically obstinate coach whose ideals clashed with the composition of a squad”, concerns that proved accurate after INEOS spent around £250 million on signings for Amorim before dismissing him. The former sporting director received a £4.1 million pay-off and has since taken up a strategic role with the FA.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe faces significant criticism after his contradictory statements regarding the appointment and dismissal. In October, Ratcliffe insisted Amorim needed to “demonstrate he is a great coach over three years” and emphasised the need for patience, stating “you can’t run a club like Manchester United on knee-jerk reactions”. However, he sacked the manager within three months, despite Manchester United’s form table showing them fifth since those comments were made.
Jason Wilcox’s position as director of football comes under scrutiny given his central role in Amorim’s appointment and subsequent failure. The former Manchester City academy director, whose only previous experience in a similar role came during one Championship season with Southampton, was described as being inextricably tied to the decision-making process. An explosive meeting that sealed Amorim’s fate highlighted Wilcox’s hands-on approach, with the director having previously admitted he “always wants to interfere in what the managers are doing” due to being “a coach at heart”.
