Stability amid the storm – Ruben Amorim’s 3-year mandate at Manchester United

Jim Ratcliffe’s unequivocal backing of Ruben Amorim has injected rare stability into Manchester United’s turbulent narrative and fans of the Red Devils would want to know what is next for their Portuguese manager.

Speaking on The Times’ The Business podcast last week, Ineos billionaire Ratcliffe, who oversees football operations at United since his 2024 minority-stake acquisition,

committed to giving Amorim the full three years of his contract, set to expire in 2027

.

“Ruben needs to demonstrate that he’s a great coach over three years,” the Briton declared. “That’s where I would be. Three years because football’s not overnight.”

This pledge, against the backdrop of United’s 10th-place standing after seven English Premier League games, marks a deliberate break from the club’s history of abrupt managerial sackings, echoing the patience shown to Alex Ferguson during his shaky early tenure from 1986 to 1989.

Amorim’s appointment in November 2024, Ineos’ first managerial hire, was pitched as a tactical coup. The 40-year-old, who masterminded two Portuguese Primeira Liga titles at Sporting Lisbon with his high-pressing, wing-back-driven 3-4-2-1 system, promised to reshape United’s identity.

Yet, 11 months on, the dream has frayed.

The 2024-25 season ended in a dismal 15th-place finish – the club’s lowest since their 1974 relegation – and was compounded by a Europa League final loss to Tottenham Hotspur in May. 

This campaign, United have three league wins marred by losses to Arsenal, Manchester City and Brentford.

Amorim oversaw his 50th game in charge of the club when his team beat Sunderland 2-0 before the international break, but his win rate of 40 per cent is the lowest of any permanent United manager since Frank O’Farrell in the 1970s – according to ESPN.

So what lies ahead for Amorim? Ratcliffe’s three-year runway sets a clear path for a methodical rebuild. 

“The press, sometimes I don’t understand. They want overnight success. They think it’s a light switch. You can’t run a club like Manchester United on knee-jerk reactions to some journalist who goes off on one every week,” said the Ineos chief.

For Amorim, the January transfer window is critical should he require more able players to fit into his “system” – one which he has, on many occasions, vehemently insisted is the right way forward.

The immediate aim is European qualification come May.

Will Amorim hold firm to his principles or adapt under the Premier League’s relentless pressure? His 3-4-2-1, a non-negotiable at Sporting that yielded five trophies through disciplined positioning and aggressive pressing, has struggled to gel with United’s squad. 

Wing-backs like Diogo Dalot and Patrick Dorgu – a new signing who has yet to impress – have often been found lacking in expansive roles, and midfielders like Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte are regularly exposed in transition.

Amorim’s defiance

after a 3-1 loss to Brentford

in September was telling: “It’s a dream to be here. I want to continue here and I want to fight for this.”

A complete overhaul is unlikely, as his press conference also framed external noise as the enemy.

“My players, I guarantee you, they are listening to you (the journalists), all those opinions, and they are putting that inside (their heads) because we are not winning games,” the United boss said.

“But they have to believe in me because I watch more games (of United) than you guys combined. I see the training, I understand my players, I understand what I’m doing.”

United are preparing to face Liverpool at Anfield this weekend, and it should be clear then whether the win over Sunderland was a fluke and if that they will simply revert to how they played against Brentford.

Pundits have offered a blend of cautious support but mostly pointed critique this season.

Former United defender Gary Neville cautioned on Sky Sports: “We admire managers who are resilient, who are, if you like, stubborn around their system. We want them to stick to the plan.

“But they’ve been hopeless in the system. If it’s not the system, then the players are a problem, the manager is a problem, the whole thing’s a problem if you’re losing football matches.”

Jamie Carragher, speaking on Monday Night Football after the loss to Brentford, said: “What he did at Sporting Lisbon was fantastic. He looked like the next big thing as a manager.

“But bringing a manager like that in with the system he plays I don’t think ever suited a club like Manchester United with the traditions at Manchester United.”

Ultimately, the United players’ reaction to Ratcliffe’s commitment is pivotal. 

Sky Sports reported on Oct 9 that “the squad are behind Ruben Amorim and his philosophy despite an up and down start” and “the consensus is that the squad are happy with Amorim”.

The victory over Sunderland, powered by Mason Mount’s strike and Benjamin Sesko’s finish and bolstered by debutant goalkeeper Senne Lammens’ composure, has lifted morale.

Now, the three-year clarity has eased tensions in a squad haunted by past managerial upheavals.

Lisandro Martinez’s return from a February knee injury could solidify the defence, while Harry Maguire’s reported new contract extension signal stability.

However, Maguire’s unease in a back three and Kobbie Mainoo’s limited starts stir unrest. There are still many issues that Amorim has to solve.

With autumn settling over Carrington, the United manager faces a chilly, defining phase. 

Ratcliffe’s strategy – prioritising process over panic – has set a clear direction for United. For Amorim, it is about refining his system and aligning his squad to it.

But fans, weary of false starts, seek tangible progress.

Three years provide merely a foundation, not a free pass. Ratcliffe’s vision is clear – no instant fix, but a steady build. Whether Amorim delivers depends on his ability to adapt without compromising his core beliefs.