Why will every coach eventually get burned out by Manchester United (Or should I say Manager)?
Ruben Amorim has been let go as Manchester United’s Head Coach. This happened faster than the average Premier League sacking. The club was seemingly regaining its footing on the field (not necessarily spectacularly – but still making a run at Champions League qualification), but it lost its ideological leader. Why did this partnership never stand a chance? A column by Konstantin Krinsky.
Manchester United – a textbook example of Chaos Theory
This is the type of football club that makes studying Chaos Theory a breeze. Tiny changes occurring over and over again, which ultimately lead to entirely unpredictable and massive outcomes that no one could possibly anticipate – ever since Sir Alex Ferguson left, and right up to today. Whether it be ownership, the constant influx of new players and exits, purchasing and selling shares of the club, or rebuilding Carrington and losing meals for the youth academy players – this is how the principle of Chaos Theory plays out nearly monthly in the history of Manchester United. On top of that – it does not just surprise the masses; it entertains them.
Before he even arrived, I knew Amorim would fail – and I wrote about it
I was certain that Amorim would fall flat at Manchester United. I wrote about it in October 2024 – before he was appointed. I truly wanted to be wrong, but sadly nothing changed since then – the coach remained faithful to himself (which is absolutely fine), while the board never altered their approach or stance on developing the club (that’s where adjustments were possible).
You cannot take fire and water and expect a bottle of bubbly wine
Two totally opposing elements can never come together and form something triumphant and successful. That defies the laws of physics – especially logic. You cannot invite a visionary architect into a dilapidated castle and tell him to fix it up to impress everyone else. First, you need to hire a demolition crew, bring in a fleet of heavy equipment and haul away the debris. After that, you can invite anyone you want.
United, obviously, did not want to do that. Instead, they lured a visionary coach with a modern style of play, and he – due to lack of experience and a pure thirst for large challenges — agreed. They bought different caliber players for him over several transfer periods (although he technically had a veto on incoming/outgoing players) and hoped this Portuguese genius would build a dream team. However, if you look at more stable long term projects such as Guardiola at City, Klopp at Liverpool and Arteta at Arsenal — all of these required much more time.
When he said “I’m not a coach, I’m a manager”
All of the coaches mentioned above are just head coaches, not managers. Yesterday however, after the 1-1 tie with Leeds, Amorim effectively flipped. He told the media he is not a coach — he is a manager.
Can you think of anybody that sits in the technical area and directs the team on the pitch each game that says something like that? Be it burnout or an emotional slip — it doesn’t matter. When he said that Amorim essentially pulled on the rope that was already dangling precariously close to his neck since day number one. As a side note — in the official announcement from Manchester United, he is referred to as the “Head Coach.” Either that was a jab from the boss or yet another sign of complete disconnection?
It’s Not About Win Rate. It’s About Something Much Deeper
Winning percentages are irrelevant (and bad by the way — 39.68%, virtually the same as Ralf Rangnick’s 37.93%). Trophies, or simply goals scored, mean nothing either. It’s about striving for equilibrium and a path forward. And the issue is not that Amorim during all of his time in England looked like a character from Suffering Medieval Times. He simply walked into the wrong club from day one. Sorry — the blame should be placed equally on the people that brought him in.
Ruben Amorim – independent.co.uk
Non-stop patching holes rather than building anything real
Ruben spent virtually all of his time at Manchester United keeping the club alive. There was literally no room to develop the club further. He was always in search mode — finding a hole to fill, incorporating new signings into the squad, assessing them, reviewing the squad again, and then everything starts over again — searching for purpose, new players, old players, wins against elite clubs, losses to relegation candidates, and criticism. An endless cycle that seems to be impossible to escape.
If you only look at the Premier League table — things don’t appear to be that bad. 5th–6th place, a legitimate shot at qualifying for the Champions League. Additionally, United created the most big scoring opportunities in the league this season! Nevertheless, can you honestly say more than a year later — around whom, and on what principles, is the attack built upon? What were the pairings that were supposed to be the foundation?
On paper, it appears okay. In reality — we have an exhausted coach (or not coach, but manager — you choose), a plethora of players, zero stability and endless gripes about the board. To put it bluntly — pure exhaustion that can be felt through the television screen. An overload coming from every Jamie Carragher, Gary Neville and all of the rest of the large British commentary personalities.
He basically signed his own dismissal yesterday
Ruben was extremely fatigued and yesterday with his words — he signed his own sentence. If there was true balance at Manchester United between the team, coaching staff, board and fans — none of this would have occurred. No post-match emotional rollercoaster, no protesting fans, no endless debate about the direction of the club.
Like his appointment, Amorim’s firing is merely another rapid-fire link in the long chain of absurd occurrences that modern Manchester United continues to endure. And it only serves as further evidence that United and Chaos have been synonymous for years.
