Portuguese report claims Amorim was scapegoated by sack that papered over cracks
Ruben Amorim’s tenure at Manchester United was cut short after just 14 months in charge, but one Portuguese publication believes he was often right on key decisions for the club
Ruben Amorim has received support in his home country(Image: Getty Images)
Michael Carrick’s rapid advancement as Manchester United manager indicates the club made the right call in dismissing Ruben Amorim.
Yet one Portuguese publication has challenged that reasoning by arguing he was vindicated in numerous decisions he took. When supporters reflect on Amorim’s spell at Old Trafford, most recollections will be far from fond.
Apart from guiding the club to last year’s Europa League final, his reign was dominated by endless debates surrounding a 3-4-3 formation that had consistently failed to deliver results.
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Contrast that with the immediate impact of Carrick, who has steered the club into the Premier League’s top four. While Amorim lost nearly as many matches as he won with United (24 victories, 21 defeats, 18 draws), his interim replacement has triumphed seven times from 11 encounters and appears the far superior appointment.
However, one Portuguese outlet has contended United are reaping the rewards of certain groundwork established by Amorim. Beyond simple tactics, they maintained the former Sporting CP boss has been vindicated in particular off-field choices, too.
“It makes sense that the Portuguese coach’s future continues to be written in England,” an A Bola column read. “Time may show that many of his decisions in Manchester made sense.”
The report concedes Amorim “certainly made mistakes” in attempting to make decisions that were perhaps beyond his jurisdiction. However, it also placed some of the responsibility for this breakdown at the door of the board who appointed him knowing full well that would be the situation.
Amorim’s choices to sideline the likes of Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho were characterised as justified. Furthermore, it was also suggested Amorim was strongly in favour of offering Casemiro, who has appeared rejuvenated under Carrick, a new contract he now appears deserving of.
“Watching Man United’s games, we realise that, as is the case with so many other clubs, the managerial change was like putting a band-aid on a wound, without eliminating the problem that caused it,” the Portuguese report continued.
“Amorim’s drama was much bigger than the 3-4-3 formation. He tried to be the kind of manager that no longer exists in England – the coach who helps define signings and the adjacent structures, from scouting to youth development.”
Such was the seriousness of Amorim’s pursuit of authority that he even publicly challenged his own superiors. Looking back, that may have only accelerated his departure from the club, though the manager suggested he recognised that much was a gamble.
There’s no means of determining how Amorim would have performed had he been granted an additional month or year to implement his vision at United. What is certain, however, is that the club is faring considerably better with Carrick overseeing matters in a caretaker role.
Even that might not prove sufficient to secure him a long-term deal, with no verdict yet reached regarding his future beyond this campaign. Nevertheless, there’s at least one individual who remains steadfast in their belief that Amorim’s time at the club wasn’t the disaster some portray it to be.
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