Berrada says Amorim's rigidity, not his talent, cost him his Manchester United job

Manchester United chief executive Omar Berrada has publicly attributed Ruben Amorim’s January sacking to tactical inflexibility, telling the Financial Times Weekend Festival that the Portuguese coach “held onto his ideas too tightly at exactly the point when adapting mattered most.”

Amorim spent 14 months at Old Trafford after arriving mid-season in October 2024, when United paid Sporting Lisbon £10m in compensation to secure his services following the dismissal of Erik ten Hag. His tenure was defined by an unwavering commitment to the 3-4-3 formation that had brought him success in Portugal — a system the United squad was never adequately equipped to execute.

“Not tactics or talent. Rigidity,” Berrada said when asked what went wrong. “The coach came in mid-season with no pre-season to prepare, and under constant scrutiny, he held onto his ideas too tightly at exactly the point when adapting mattered most.”

Despite more than £200 million in attacking reinforcements arriving in the summer transfer window, results failed to improve. A run of five defeats in six games during December — three of them at Old Trafford — underlined the scale of the problem. Amorim himself had publicly declared he was managing “the worst United team in history.”

His tenure ended following a 1-1 draw at Leeds in January, after which Amorim made pointed remarks about his role and authority at the club. United finished the season 15th in the Premier League — their lowest-ever top-flight finish — and lost in the Europa League final.

Berrada, who had personally championed Amorim’s appointment, stopped short of placing all blame on the coach, acknowledging the difficult circumstances he inherited. Nevertheless, the chief executive’s comments represent the clearest official account yet of why a manager brought in with such fanfare lasted little more than a year.