The board decisions in Manchester United are again coming under the fire with the club officially announcing that they had received the notice of the dismissal of the Manchester United board member, Ruben Amorim, after only 14 months of service, an action that has only brought concern to fans instead of settling their minds. The announcement sets a panic finishing a chapter too soon, but it is also a renewed terror that there is no longer any instability within the dugout, but it has taken root in the building, above it.
To begin with, the timing in which Amorim has left has been confusing to many observers. Manchester United are currently ranked sixth in the Premier League with a gap of just three points to the ranked fourth placing, Liverpool and when you look at that, it does not indicate anything wrong. However, context matters. The feeling of increment given by the detached observers is relative, or depends on the lower standards that were maintained in the preceding campaign with the same manager. What can be taken as a recovery is actually a correction of past under-performance.
The reputation Amorim came to Norway with is that of a charismatic, modern coach, however numbers have a different tale. His Premier League performances of 1.24 per game of his team puts him in the same category of managers who have not been labeled as being elite, and his achievement of 38.1 percent winners per game is one of the lowest of any permanent United manager in the Premier League era. These statistics are important as they indicate a lack of touch with reality, as compared to perception- and that is something that the Manchester United board seems to always have issues with.
Nonetheless, the weakness of Amorim cannot be considered in a vacuum. His leaden-footed strategies, most especially an attitude on having a system that compelled the players into roles that they were not familiar with caused tension in the squad. The marginalisation of Kobbie Mainoo and a freeze out of Marcus Rhasford were high profile cases and raised questions of man and ability to adapt. Nevertheless, the situation of his exit implies an employee who was caught between incompatible points of view at the top.
During his last press conferences, Amorim sounded like a man who knew that he was soon going to retire. It was resignation and not defiance in his tone, the tacit admission that he was not being backed up as was at first avowed to him. That feeling finds favor with the fans who have felt that the Manchester United board is more of a reactionary one than a strategic one.
The greater issue is with leadership personnel, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox. On taking office, they have given priority to efficiency, sustainability as well as best-in-class operation. Off the field, commercial order and financial discipline have been physically enhanced. But on the footballing scene, the mistakes of judgment of an expensive nature are still mounting.
The fact that Dan Ashworth encountered a short breathing spell, the costly disintegration of the Erik ten Hag regime and almost the same thing with Amorim throws up a rather worrying sight. Why get a manager whose philosophy revolves around a back-three system, and expect to request tactical innovation a year later as a result of recruitment indecisiveness? The Manchester United board is squarely placing its feet on this contradiction.
Besides, the trend indicates the absence of long-term vision. Every new managerial and new hires seem to have no relation with the one before them, and the cycle of instability begins to disrupt the team spirit and break the spirit of trust. Players are requested to go through the change several times, fans are advised to be patient once more but responsibility at boardroom level is impossible to trace.
And lastly, the loss of belief is the most terrifying effect of Amorim departure. There will be no longer the fear of losing a managernthe fear of getting another one. There is low confidence about the Manchester United board in identification, support, and security of the right coach. Skepticism is not preceded by feelings, it possesses the bases of evidence that have been built during several turbulent years.
To sum up, the sacking of Ruben Amorim can be not only called the final result of a failed experiment but another red flag. The cycle of disappointment is bound to persist unless the Manchester United board can prove that there is congruence between recruitment, tactical philosophy, and long-term planning. In the case of a club that is founded on identity and direction, winning the trust at the top may well be more pressing than anything.
Follow us on Zeroto30s social channels:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zeroto30s/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/zeroto30s
Twitter: https://twitter.com/zeroto30s
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Zeroto30s