WARNING: RUBEN AMORIM’S JOB IN JEOPARDY AFTER FIERY MANCHESTER UNITED POWER STRUGGLE
Ruben Amorim sparks a power struggle at Man Utd. Explore the rift with Jason Wilcox, transfer failures, and his uncertain future.
Ruben Amorim’s future at Manchester United looks shaky after his fiery press conference on Sunday. Sources close to the club say his relationship with director of football Jason Wilcox has hit a rough patch, and that puts his job at risk.
After United’s 1-1 draw at Leeds, Amorim made it clear he wants more control. He doesn’t just want the head coach label—they gave him that when he joined—but he sees himself as the manager. People inside the club say he’s getting tired of being told to be more flexible with his tactics, especially by Wilcox and the rest of the leadership.
If it turns into a power struggle between Amorim and Wilcox, CEO Omar Berrada is expected to side with Wilcox.
Amorim also feels let down by promises the club made about transfers. He expected to shape his squad this window, but now United plans to keep January quiet. Even last summer, Amorim pushed to sign Ollie Watkins, who knows the Premier League, instead of Benjamin Sesko, who’s still finding his feet in England.
United were chasing Antoine Semenyo, who’s now heading to Manchester City, but Amorim thought the £65 million price tag should have gone to strengthen other parts of the team.
Meanwhile, minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has said publicly that Amorim deserves the full three years he signed up for back in November 2024. But it’s obvious not everyone in the boardroom agrees. Their doubts show in the way they’re hesitating to spend money or let Amorim have his way, especially since he’s so stuck on playing his 3-4-2-1 system.
Another sign things aren’t right: the board won’t let Kobbie Mainoo leave, even though Amorim’s frozen him out this season. The club still sees Mainoo as important for the future.
During his press conference, Amorim, 40, threw everyone off by hinting he’d be gone when his contract runs out in 2027. He didn’t hold back, saying, “I came here to be the manager of Manchester United, not to be the head coach.” He added, “I know my name isn’t Conte, Tuchel, or Mourinho, but I’m the manager here. It’ll stay like this for 18 months, or until the board decides to make a change. I’m not quitting. I’ll do my job until someone else comes in.”
After all that, talkSPORT’s Alex Crook said it reminded him of the Enzo Maresca situation—after a few tough comments, Maresca was out not long after. Journalists around the United States say the relationship between Amorim and Wilcox has gone cold. Crook thinks Amorim’s trying to stamp his authority and probably wants new signings this window, but the board doesn’t want to spend when Amorim might not last.
Crook also questioned the decision to hire Amorim in the first place. Liverpool had interest but walked away because they knew he wouldn’t shift from his rigid back-three, wing-back system, which hasn’t really worked in the Premier League—except for Chelsea that one season. If Liverpool saw the problem, Crook argues, United should have too. And if United wants Amorim’s system, they need to back him with the right players. But by doing that, Crook says, United are betraying its own DNA. This is a club built on wingers, and Amorim doesn’t use wingers at all.
STOPPAGE TIME SAVER: BENJAMIN SESKO RESCUES MICHAEL CARRICK’S UNBEATEN STREAK AT WEST HAM
Benjamin Sesko saved Manchester United with a 96th-minute flick after Tomas Soucek put West Ham ahead. Read the full 2026 report.
Manchester United left it late, grabbing a dramatic draw against West Ham at the London Stadium. Tomas Soucek seemed to have won it for the Hammers with his second-half goal, but Benjamin Sesko popped up in stoppage time with a clever finish to snatch a point for United, who’ve been on a good run. The first half really dragged. United couldn’t break West Ham down at all. Everyone in a claret shirt just sat deep. Luke Shaw came closest, but Aaron Wan-Bissaka cleared his shot off the line.
After the break, things actually got interesting. Four minutes in, Soucek bundled one in from close range. Casemiro thought he’d levelled things up after an hour, but VAR ruled his header out for offside. Both teams had chances as the clock ran down, but it was Sesko who finally found the net deep into stoppage time, saving United right at the end.
Man United player ratings vs West Ham
Senne Lammens – 6
Came up big early to deny Summerville from a distance. No chance with Soucek’s goal.
Diogo Dalot – 4
Had a tough time with Summerville’s pace and kept giving the ball away. Picked up a needless yellow.
Lisandro Martínez – 6
Easily the most composed passer at the back, breaking lines a few times. Solid defensively for the most part.
Luke Shaw – 5
Almost scored in the first half, but his shot was cleared off the line. Then stepped out of position before Soucek’s goal, which cost United.
Casemiro – 7
Pretty solid in midfield—broke up play and timed his tackles well. Scored with a header, but it didn’t count.
Kobbie Mainoo – 6
Kept things ticking in the middle but couldn’t really hurt West Ham. Lost Soucek for the goal.
Amad – 5
Had a decent look before halftime but hit the side netting. Didn’t offer his usual spark.
Matheus Cunha – 4
Barely got involved. Dropped deep to get on the ball but didn’t do anything with it.
Bryan Mbeumo – 5
Ran hard, tracked back, and helped defensively, but didn’t threaten much in attack.
Joshua Zirkzee – 6
Came on for Maguire for the last 20 minutes and made a couple of crucial blocks as West Ham pressed for another.
Benjamin Sesko – 7
Subbed in for Cunha in the second half and poked home in stoppage time to grab United a point.
DISCOVER WHICH MANCHESTER UNITED STARS WILL MISS THE WEST HAM CLASH
Michael Carrick confirms Mason Mount and Matthijs de Ligt will miss Manchester United’s clash with West Ham as the win streak nears 5.
Here’s the latest on Man United’s injury list and who’s likely to return when they take on West Ham.
Man United head to the London Stadium on Tuesday night without three key players. All of them are still recovering. Michael Carrick, who’s already chalked up four straight wins since taking over, is aiming to stretch that run to five. United are right in the mix for a Champions League spot now, just three points off third-placed Aston Villa.
They’ll want to keep racking up points, but after the West Ham game, there’s nearly a two-week gap before they play Everton. That’s not enough time for any of the injured guys to make it back for West Ham, though Carrick’s hoping at least one of them will be ready for the Everton trip later this month.
So, who’s out? The same trio that missed the weekend win over the Spurs. None of them will feature in East London. De Ligt hasn’t played since beating Crystal Palace at the end of November. Carrick says it’s still too soon to predict exactly when he’ll be fit again.
Dorgu is dealing with a hamstring injury from the Arsenal match last month. He’ll be out for about two months and probably won’t return until after the March international break. Mount has already missed the last two games after picking up a small knock in training. He won’t make it in time for West Ham, but Carrick expects him back to face Everton.
“Mason probably won’t be ready for Tuesday, probably after, but definitely by the Everton game, he’ll be back,” Carrick told reporters before the match. “Matta, we’ll see how he gets on… the Everton game still feels a way off, so we’ll just have to watch his progress. He’s doing well, heading in the right direction, but Mason’s a bit closer.”