When Ruben Amorim entered the press conference room in Carrington to prepare to answer reporters before the away match against Leeds, everyone noticed the fatigue of the Portuguese strategist. Previously, no matter what the results of Man United were, Amorim still showed positivity in press conferences. However, since the draw with Wolves, the 40-year-old coach has become much more taciturn.
When answering reporters, Amorim tends to be concise. Especially with questions related to the 3-4-3 formation, the Man United captain did not answer. When asked about the "Red Devils" no longer having a budget to buy players in the winter transfer window, and then the rifts in relations with Sporting Director Jason Wilcox, Amorim only praised the questioner as "very smart".
After the draw with Leeds, a series of similar questions reappeared at the post-match press conference at Elland Road. Usually, Amorim would talk a lot, but this time he chose to remain silent and made the atmosphere of skepticism engulf the auditorium. After telling reporters that they should filter information in the media, Amorim spoke frankly with a rather angry attitude, that he came here to be a manager, not just a coach.
Amorim has repeated that many times and seems to imply wanting to emphasize, showing everyone about the ambition he wants at Old Trafford. Names like Thomas Tuchel, Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho are mentioned continuously. All are respected and certainly reputable coaches.
Amorim is also like them, wanting to be a manager, not just a professional coach. Amorim even said that this situation will happen in the next 18 months, unless the board of directors changes people (the contract expires in the summer of 2027).
After emphasizing himself as a manager, Ruben Amorim said bluntly, the scouting department (headed by Jason Wilcox) should do their job well. Everything will be considered at the time of contract expiration.
Previously, Amorim avoided questions about the transfer and directed it to Wilcox. He once said "only responsible for achievements".
More than a week ago, after defeating Newcastle United on Boxing Day, he spoke about the importance of a unified approach in player recruitment and everything needs to have "common points".
However, even in that answer, Amorim still wanted to emphasize that his opinion was sometimes different from Wilcox and the rest of the club's leadership.
Amorim mentioning the "18 month" deadline is not the first time he has mentioned the possibility of leaving. This may be the first time the Portuguese strategist has publicly committed to completing the contract.
However, seemingly excluding the possibility of staying longer than necessary shows that the relationship has been damaged, and may not even be able to heal with Wilcox.
After the match against Leeds, Man United's performance was heavily criticized by former legend Gary Neville. Like many other coaches, Amorim declared that he did not read or listen to those statements. However, his mention of Neville implies that other people in the club are very attentive to these criticisms and they are too sensitive to them.
No matter how bad the relationship is, if the team plays well on the pitch, everything will be resolved. However, Man United does not have that. Although still ranked 6th in the rankings after round 20, they have only won 1/5 of their most recent matches and often lose points against bottom teams like Wolves or Leeds. Man United has not won against 5/6 bottom teams since the beginning of November 2025. They can complete that terrible series of matches (not winning all 6 bottom teams) at Burnley's Turf Moor stadium in the middle of this week.
After the 3rd round of the FA Cup, Man United will have to face 2 rivals competing for the championship, Manchester City and Arsenal, for 2 consecutive weeks. If a head coach or manager who only wins 24/63 matches says "or support me, or fire me", many executives will not consider it an ultimatum but an invitation. Surely it is a foolish act, a very risky step for Amorim personally and has caused him to lose his seat.
