Ruben Amorim sacked: Winners and losers from Man Utd’s monumental decision

Robin Bairner

Updated: 5 Jan 2026 12:39 GMT
5 min read

Ruben Amorim, Man Utd, 2025/26 — © IMAGO

Manchester United have sacked manager Ruben Amorim following Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Leeds United in the Premier League.

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Amorim has never appeared comfortable in the Old Trafford dugout, with his 14-month stint in charge of the club littered with a series of disappointing results. This came to an end in spectacular style on Monday, following the manager going on a public rant about transfer policy following the weekend's clash.

The Portuguese failed to win a trophy with the Red Devils, while his dogmatic approach to his favoured 3-4-3 formation was a source of friction and frustration behind the scenes.

While it is claimed that Amorim’s staunch desire to stick to his method was not one of the reasons for his departure, it has certainly posed issues with players over his time at the Theatre of Dreams.

So who will be the big winners and the big losers from Amorim’s sacking?

WINNER: Kobbie Mainoo

The most obvious person to gain from Amorim’s departure is Mainoo, who was all but forgotten by the Portuguese when it came to being a contender for a starting place.

Indeed, the England international midfielder had not featured from the first whistle of a single Premier League game this season and has accumulated only 302 minutes across all competitions.

Now with Darren Fletcher, the U18 coach, installed as interim boss, Mainoo is likely to be let off the leash at long last.

Current ETV

Kobbie Mainoo

M, DM (C)

Man Utd

Kobbie Mainoo

M, DM (C)

Man Utd

ETV Range

€54.8M - €67M

LOSER: Ruben Amorim

Let’s start with the most obvious loser in this soap opera: Ruben Amorim.

At Sporting CP, he was a much-hyped young coach, thought to be the next big thing in the managerial world.

Brought into the glaring spotlight at Old Trafford, he’s proven to be inflexible and prickly.

This experience could ultimately serve him well if he analyses what went wrong and returns with a humbler approach, but he’s got to build his reputation from the ground upwards again. It could be a long route back to the top.

© IMAGO - Ruben Amorim: Sacked as Man Utd manager

WINNER: Marcus Rashford

Man Utd academy prospect Marcus Rashford was forced out of the club on loan to Barcelona this season after being frozen out by Amorim at Old Trafford.

Despite a strong performance this season in Spain, there is no certainty that the Blaugrana will elect to retain him due to their financial problems.

STATS

Marcus Rashford

F, M (L)

Barcelona

Marcus Rashford

F, M (L)

Barcelona

25

Games
7

Goals
9

Assists

The new Man Utd boss can only be more welcoming to Rashford than Amorim was.

Alejandro Garnacho was similarly pushed away by the Portuguese, signing for Chelsea in the summer, and made it clear how frustrated he was with the manager by ‘liking’ a status announcing he had been sacked.

© Instagram - Alejandro Garnacho likes Fabrizio Romano's Ruben Amorim sack statement

LOSER: Mason Mount

While there’s no doubt that Amorim had a difficult relationship with many players, Mount seemed to be figure that he admired greatly. The former Chelsea star seemed to fit into his plans nicely and was one of the few who seemed to thrive in his system.

Now Mount enters a period of uncertainty. With Bruno Fernandes, undoubtedly Man Utd’s star figure, set to retain the No.10 position should the Red Devils move back into a more conventional 4-2-3-1, where does the former Chelsea man fit?

Current ETV

Mason Mount

AM, M (C)

Man Utd

Mason Mount

AM, M (C)

Man Utd

ETV Range

€32.2M - €39.3M

WINNER: The Man Utd academy

Amorim might have spoken of the importance of involving Man Utd’s academy prospects in the first team, but he rarely backed this up with action.

Indeed, he persistently overlooked some of the most hyped youngsters in the academy even when his options were depleted.

In particular, Chido Obi has been strangely absent from the first-team picture. With United lacking attacking options, the centre-forward has only been in the squad once this season.

Another player that Man Utd fans want to see more of is Shea Lacey, who has just six minutes of action to his credit.

LOSER: INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe

Having swept into Old Trafford amid a sea of glorious promises, the big decisions taken by Ineos have all been catastrophically wrong.

First, they elected to offer Erik ten Hag a contract extension in the summer of 2024 before being forced to sack him a matter of weeks later.

Now the Dutchman’s replacement has lasted little over a year. While there has been an improvement during Amorim’s stint, it has been painfully slow and expensive for the progress that has been made.