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Ruben Amorim’s miserable 14-month spell at Manchester United came to an end this morning the club announcing that the Portuguese had been sacked.
The ax fell after the 1-1 draw at Leeds yesterday, although it was apparently not the result or performance that prompted the decision, with Amorim using the post-match press conference to insist he was the manager and not the head coach, words which hinted at a disagreement with chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox.
It has been an uphill struggle for Amorim since day one at Old Trafford with his much-scrutinized 3-4-3 formation seemingly ill-suited to the players at his disposal.
But how does his record compare to that of his predecessors in the Manchester United in the hot seat since Sir Alex Ferguson left in 2013 after winning 13 Premier League crowns, as well as five FA Cups and the Champions League twice?
DAVID MOYES (2013-2014)
Moyes was given what seemed like the near-impossible task of replacing Ferguson and struggled to make a positive impact.
The club lost three of his first six league matches in charge, setting the tone for a short spell that ended on April 22, less than a year into a six-year contract. His final match in charge ended in a 2-0 defeat against former club Everton.
Moyes had a winning percentage of 53% in all competitions.
LOUIS VAN GAAL (2014-2016)
Van Gaal was brought in as an experienced manager who, in theory, would get United back on track and provide leadership similar to that of Ferguson.
An investment-heavy summer that included the eye-catching signing of Angel Di Maria suggested a good season would follow, but an opening day defeat to Swansea was quickly followed by a 4-0 hammering at Milton Keynes Dons in the EFL Cup.
Results improved and Van Gaal’s first season in charge of the club ended with fourth place in the Premier League.
The following season started well with United top of the table in September, before being knocked out of the EFL Cup by Middlesbrough, then failing to reach the knockout stages of the Champions League after defeat at Wolfsburg.
The highlight was the FA Cup success which saw them beat Crystal Palace in the final at Wembley, but that did not save Van Gaal, who was sacked shortly afterwards.
Van Gaal had a winning percentage of 52.4% in all competitions.
Jose Mourinho (2016-2018)
United needed to be galvanized, so they sent for the Special One.
League form has remained patchy, but the Portuguese could at least cite success in the EFL Cup and Europa League as signs of progress.
The following year they started by finishing second in the Premier League and reaching the FA Cup final, where they lost to Mourinho’s former club Chelsea.
However, it all fell apart in the 2018/19 campaign with just seven wins in United’s first 17 games in charge, leading to Mourinho’s dismissal on December 18, 2018.
Mourinho had a winning percentage of 58.3% in all competitions.
OLE GUNNAR SUN VISOR (2018-2021)
Former United striker Solskjaer was named caretaker keeper following Mourinho’s departure, but earned a full-time place after winning 14 of his first 19 games in charge.
United finished sixth at the end of the 2018-19 campaign and got off to a slow start the following season before the arrival of Bruno Fernandes inspired improvement.
They finished third and reached the semi-finals of the EFL Cup, FA Cup and Europa League.
Solskjaer continued to improve steadily and United eventually finished second after topping the table after 17 games.
They also reached the Europa League final but lost to Villarreal on penalties.
Solskjaer signed a three-year contract in the summer of 2021, but was sacked four months later with the club seventh in the table.
Solskjaer had a winning percentage of 54.1% in all competitions.
TEN RIGHTS (2022-2024)
After the interim tenure of Ralf Rangnick (a winning percentage of 38%), United turned to Dutchman Ten Hag.
He became the first United manager to lose his first two games in charge, but a good run saw the club get back on track. This up-and-down nature characterized his tenure with EFL Cup success at Wembley, quickly followed by a 7-0 hammering at Liverpool.
They finished third in the first season under Ten Hag and eighth 12 months later, although they won the FA Cup.
Ten Hag was released in October 2024 with United 14th in the table.
Ten Hag had a winning percentage of 54.7% in all competitions.
RUBEN AMORIM (2024-2025)
Amorim was the ambitious choice to replace Ten Hag, but he left after a dismal 14 months.
The club finished 15th in the Premier League last season, just four points above the relegation zone, with Amorim’s favored 3-4-3 formation a regular talking point.
They reached the Europa League final but lost 1-0 to Spurs after a dismal performance in Bilbao.
Amorim has won only 24 of his 63 matches in charge.
Amorim had a winning percentage of 38.1% in all competitions.
AMORIM THE WORST IN A SORRY GROUP
Mourinho – 58.3% win percentage
Ten Witches – 54.7%
Solskjaer – 54.1%
Moyès – 53%
Van Gaal – 52.4%
Amorim – 38.1%
