Ruben Amorim immediately admitted 'mistake' before making decision on Man Utd job

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Months before taking over at Manchester United , Ruben Amorim held talks with another Premier League club. However, he quickly recognised it was a mistake for him to speak to West Ham about succeeding David Moyes while he was still in the midst of a title race with Sporting CP.

Amorim ended up successful in that title charge and remained at Sporting until a few months later when Manchester United came calling. However, his tenure at Old Trafford has lasted barely a year and he departs with the Red Devils sitting sixth in the Premier League table after 20 matches of the current campaign.

"So let's get the elephant out of the room and I'll talk about it once," Amorim said in April 2024 when discussing the West Ham talks. "The first thing is to say that the club was aware of my trip. It's important and changes the context.

"Then, talk about the cloak of secrecy that surrounded the trip. I secretly parked the car outside, secretly walked past 15 people, past people and took photographs and got on a plane to take away a little bit of this thing that was all done behind the club's back, that didn't happen.

"Obviously my trip was a mistake, the timing was completely wrong, it didn't seem right at the time. It was wrong, especially when I'm so demanding with my players and always the first to say that each one's problems don't go away. They can overpower the team, I have already removed players from the squad for much less. It was my mistake, I have to accept it and live with it."

Amorim's first season in charge at United saw them limp to a lowly bottom-half finish, their worst in the Premier League era, with defeat in the Europa League final ensuring they would have no European football for the first time in more than a decade. Results have improved slightly this term, but not enough for the board to keep him in charge.

"With Manchester United sitting sixth in the Premier League, the club’s leadership has reluctantly made the decision that it is the right time to make a change," the club said in a statement on Monday morning. "This will give the team the best opportunity of the highest possible Premier League finish."

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Since Amorim held talks with West Ham, the London side have cycled through several permanent managers of their own. Moyes was given the remainder of the 2023/24 season before being replaced by Julen Lopetegui, who only lasted half a season himself before making way for Graham Potter in January 2025.

Potter was still in the dugout at the start of this season but got his marching orders in September, with Nuno Espirito Santo taking over. And now, with the Hammers four points from Premier League safety, there has been speculation over Nuno's future at the London Stadium.

Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.