Ruben Amorim has been given a three-year mandate to turn things around at Manchester United, despite the constant media speculation regarding his future. Co-owner Jim Ratcliffe has insisted that he is not going to make a hasty decision about the under-pressure manager.
Amorim, appointed in November 2024, has faced increasing scrutiny after Manchester United’s turbulent performances this season. The team has endured another poor campaign, and Amorim’s tenure has been marked by disappointing results, including a 15th-place finish in the Premier League last season—their worst league position since 1973-74—and a loss to Tottenham in the Europa League final. In the current season, United has been struggling again, sitting 10th in the table and failing to secure consecutive Premier League victories.
Despite all this, Ratcliffe has given Amorim the chance to prove his worth. “He has not had the best of seasons. Ruben needs to demonstrate he is a great coach over three years. That’s where I would be,” Ratcliffe said in an interview with The Business podcast, produced by The Times and The Sunday Times. “The press, sometimes I don’t understand. They want overnight success. They think it’s a light switch. You know, you flick a switch and it’s all going to be roses tomorrow.”
Ratcliffe emphasized that he would not allow short-term pressure to dictate his decisions regarding Amorim’s future. “You can’t run a club like Manchester United on knee-jerk reactions to some journalist who goes off on one every week,” Ratcliffe stated, pointing out that success cannot be achieved instantaneously.
Ratcliffe, who has owned a 30 percent stake in Manchester United since February 2024 and assumed control of football operations at the club, further clarified his position. He made it clear that the Glazer family, despite their history of controversies with United fans, remains in overall charge, and he is committed to stabilizing the club’s operations.
The team’s financial situation has also come under scrutiny. As part of efforts to reduce costs, United recently cut around 450 jobs and removed perks such as subsidized staff lunches. Ratcliffe defended these measures, stating that the club’s expenses had been unsustainable. “The costs were just too high. There are some fantastic people at Manchester United, but there was also a level of mediocrity, and it had become bloated,” Ratcliffe explained.
He also pointed to profitability as a key factor in rebuilding the club. “The biggest correlation, like it or not, between results and any external factor is profitability. The more cash you’ve got, the better squad you can build,” he added. Ratcliffe stressed that the first year of his ownership has focused on setting the club on a healthier, more sustainable financial path.
