Zidane instruction, Dyche choice - Ruben Amorim clear Man United sack verdict delivered

With Ruben Amorim suffering his most recent setback at Manchester United, many pundits, fans and writers have had their say on the situation at Old Trafford

Ruben Amorim has endured a difficult start to the season(Image: 2025 Getty Images)

As the one-year anniversary of Erik ten Hag's sacking from Manchester United approaches, there appears to be alarm bells ringing for Ruben Amorim.

Manchester City dismantled Amorim's side at the Etihad Stadium, consigning the Red Devils to their second Premier League defeat in four matches. On October 28, the Dutchman's exit from the club was confirmed shortly after a 2-1 away loss to West Ham United.

United were 14th when the decision to part with Ten Hag was made, but Amorim finished last season one place lower in 15th. With the Red Devils ending this weekend in the same position as Ten Hag was in his final week, the Manchester Evening News takes a look at what the football world believes is the answer to United's predicament.

Man United supporters speaking to the MEN

At the Etihad Stadium, many United fans expressed their feelings about Amorim to the MEN. "I can't see how this manager is avoiding the sack," one fan said before another one added: "He’s had a free pass until now and it was always the case that he had to start the season well. He certainly hasn’t."

Another supporter said: "Personally, I think he's finished. Loads of reds want him to do well but there's nothing at all to say he's the man."

Charlie Austin

Former striker Charlie Austin thinks Dyche could provide United with a foundation to build off(Image: 2024 Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA)

Former Southampton forward Charlie Austin recently said: "In my honest opinion, you have to look at the job Sean Dyche did at Burnley, what he did at Everton. For me, he stabilised the club, at least he's going to put structure in there.

"Zinedine Zidane is the top of the tree for me, but what the club needs now is structure because that is something they do not have. I know Manchester United fans will look at me saying, 'He said Sean Dyche', no, they need structure [and] that is a man who will come in and make the team a lot better than what we are all seeing."

Daniel Orme

There would be no point in sacking Amorim right now. After all, United have invested heavily in bringing him to Old Trafford. They’ve also spent huge sums backing him in the transfer market in an attempt to shape the squad in his image.

If we get to February and United are still languishing in the lower reaches of the table then by all means put his position under consideration. But there would be no real benefit to pulling the trigger now.

Patrick Austen-Hardy

Amorim may have to figure out a new solution when it comes to using Fernandes(Image: 2025 Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA)

Something has to change at United, but it does not necessarily have to be the manager. Amorim is right in the sense football is a lot more than formations and a change of shape will not necessarily guarantee a change in performances.

However, putting Bruno Fernandes in a midfield two, a player so used to leading from the front, scoring goals and dragging United forward, is like asking Liam Gallagher to play the drums. Amorim is making life harder for himself in all sorts of ways, but he needs to be given an opportunity to find a solution.

Gary Neville

Gary Neville has admitted he is getting worried for Amorim(Image: YouTube/Sky Sports Premier League)

“I was really heartened by the first game of the season against Arsenal. I thought it was a really good performance, but maybe that was because they’d had a good pre-season. Maybe now (Matheus) Cunha gets injured, (Mason) Mount gets injured, the old wounds are starting to open up, and I’m worried.

"I’m worried about the manager, worried about what’s going to happen in this next few weeks. I don’t think it’s a time for panic, but I’ve seen this before. We’ve seen this film.”

Bruna Reis

It’s becoming increasingly unclear where Manchester United go from here. Nearly a year has passed since Amorim was appointed as Erik ten Hag’s successor, and despite the time, little progress has been made. The start to this season has been particularly disappointing, with the team winning just one of their opening four games.

Amorim has consistently refused to compromise on his footballing philosophy, sticking rigidly to his principles. While this approach brought him success in Portugal, it has yet to yield results at United.

The tactics that once worked at Sporting Clube de Portugal are struggling to translate in the Premier League, leaving fans frustrated. At this stage, it may be time for Amorim to adapt, make pragmatic changes and inject fresh ideas into the squad if he wants to turn this situation around.

Matthew Abbott

Amorim will need to start amassing some momentum(Image: 2025 Getty Images)

United sacking Amorim days after the season's first international break rather than during that fortnight between matches would be foolish, particularly with the visit of Chelsea less than a week away now. Games against Brentford and Sunderland follow before the next international break.

There should be a greater sense of what the club's decision should be then. A visit to Anfield first up after they return should also sharpen the focus of all involved. October was when they sacked Erik ten Hag last season, and could well be the juncture when a decision on Amorim - either way - comes.

Mark Wakefield

Manchester United should have known they were playing the long game when they appointed Ruben Amorim last year. It was always going to take time to implement his ideas and 10 months is not enough to expect major improvements in performance levels.

That being said, there have been similar issues in midfield across all five games so far this season and they need to be addressed. As of right now, talk of Amorim leaving his role as United boss is far too early. But with no Europe this season, can United afford to risk another campaign next year without the revenue from being in either of the three competitions?