Ruben Amorim’s 14-month reign as Manchester United manager has ended following a series of damaging results that eroded confidence, belief and ultimately the club’s patience. Despite flashes of promise, decisive defeats in key moments domestically and in Europe came to define his spell at Old Trafford.
From a catastrophic Europa League final defeat to humiliating domestic setbacks, these seven games chart how Amorim’s tenure unravelled.
Tottenham 1–0 Manchester United
Europa League final, 21 May 2025
Bilbao proved to be the defining night of the Amorim era. Victory would have secured Champions League qualification and an estimated €115 million windfall. Defeat meant no European football at all.
United delivered a flat, disjointed performance at San Mamés, losing to a scruffy Brennan Johnson goal in a low-quality all-English final. Amorim’s decision to leave Alejandro Garnacho on the bench until the final 20 minutes drew widespread criticism as United dominated possession but created almost nothing. The loss proved financially and psychologically devastating.
Manchester United 0–2 Bournemouth
Premier League, 22 December 2024
Old Trafford’s patience snapped as United were booed off following a second consecutive home defeat to Bournemouth. Goals from Dean Huijsen, Justin Kluivert and Antoine Semenyo exposed United’s fragility and left Amorim with just seven points from his opening six league matches.
“Everything is so hard,” Amorim admitted afterwards a remark that quickly became emblematic of his early struggles. Alarm bells were ringing loudly.
Wolves 2–0 Manchester United
Premier League, 26 December 2024
Hopes of a Boxing Day reset evaporated at Molineux. Wolves capitalised on United’s chaos, with Matheus Cunha a future United signing scoring directly from a corner as Andre Onana was beaten all ends up.
Hwang Hee-chan added a second on a grim afternoon that also saw captain Bruno Fernandes sent off for the third time that season. United looked broken, disorganised and leaderless.
Newcastle 4–1 Manchester United
Premier League, 13 April 2025
Attempting to ease pressure on Onana after Europa League errors, Amorim handed Altay Bayindir his Premier League debut. The gamble backfired spectacularly.
Bayindir conceded from the first shot he faced and gifted Bruno Guimaraes Newcastle’s fourth goal. United were beaten four times from six shots, prompting Fernandes to admit: “This club has never suffered like this.”
Grimsby 2–2 Manchester United (Grimsby won 12–11 on penalties)
Carabao Cup, 27 August 2025
Few results damaged Amorim’s credibility more. League Two Grimsby Town stunned United in one of the greatest cup shocks in English football history.
United trailed 2–0 after goals from Charles Vernam and Tyrell Warren the latter following a dreadful Onana error. Though Bryan Mbeumo and Harry Maguire dragged United level, they lost a chaotic 12–11 penalty shoot-out. Amorim was mocked for theatrically consulting a tactics board on the touchline as Grimsby fans chanted “sacked in the morning”.
Brentford 3–1 Manchester United
Premier League, 27 September 2025
Defensive disarray resurfaced in west London. Harry Maguire twice failed to hold the offside line as Igor Thiago struck twice for Brentford.
Benjamin Sesko scored his first goal since an €85m summer move, but Fernandes missed another penalty and Mathias Jensen sealed the result in stoppage time. Amorim’s attempt to win successive league games for the first time in 10 months collapsed yet again.
Manchester United 1–1 Wolves
Premier League, 30 December 2025
The final warning sign. Bottom-of-the-table Wolves ended an 11-game losing streak at Old Trafford, earning just their third point of the season.
Joshua Zirkzee’s deflected opener flattered United before Ladislav Krejci equalised. The boos at full-time were deafening. Amorim spoke optimistically about the club’s “potential”, but confidence inside Old Trafford was already gone. He was dismissed less than a week later.
The end of the Amorim era
Amorim arrived with a reputation for structure, intensity and tactical clarity. He leaves with United fractured, directionless and bruised by repeated failures in decisive moments. These seven matches did not just define his tenure they explained why it could not continue.
