🔗 Share this article

Manchester United have terminated the contract of manager their Portuguese head coach after just 14 months in charge. The announcement comes amid a reported disagreement over January funds and despite the team's unbeaten run.

What Sparked the Decision

The relationship between the manager and the club's leadership, particularly director of football Jason Wilcox, had been fracturing for a period. The immediate catalyst is believed to have been public remarks made by the coach following the recent 1-1 draw with Leeds United. He is said to have challenged the recruitment team to "do their job," emphasizing a clear disconnect.

"I came here to be the manager of Manchester United – not to be the coach. That is clear. I know my name is not Tuchel, Mourinho or Conte but I’m the manager. It’s going to be like this for 18 months or until the board decide to change. I’m not going to quit, I will do my job until another guy is coming here to replace me."

A Miserable Tenure

Statistically, the Portuguese manager's time at Old Trafford was difficult. He departs with a win ratio of a sub-40% win rate and a league points average of a meager 1.24 in the Premier League. The team suffered more defeats than it won in the calendar year 2025.

Paradoxically, his final games showed a slight improvement. United lost just one of his last eight matches and now find themselves in sixth place in the Premier League table, just three points off the prized fourth place.

Final Games in Charge

• 4-4 draw vs Bournemouth (Home)
• 2-1 loss vs Aston Villa (Away)
• 1-0 win vs Newcastle United (Home)
• 1-1 draw vs Wolverhampton Wanderers (Home)
• 1-1 draw vs Leeds United (Away)

United's Position

In its statement, the club framed the decision as one aimed at securing the highest league finish.

"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. This will give the team the best opportunity of the highest possible Premier League finish. The club would like to thank Ruben for his contribution to the club and wishes him well for the future."

The Immediate Future

In the immediate aftermath, club legend the Scot will take charge on an caretaker basis. He is expected to be in the technical area for the next Premier League fixture against Burnley.

For the permanent role, bookmakers and pundits are speculating a number of possible successors. Names being linked include former Barcelona coach Xavi Hernández, Oliver Glasner, England national team boss Southgate, and Enzo Maresca.

The Court of Public Opinion

The news has sparked mixed reactions among supporters and observers. Some cite the underwhelming performances and style as justification, while others argue the ownership and directors must bear a large responsibility for continuous turmoil.

A perspective suggests: "{Between the consistently bad performances and results, the rather abhorrent win ratio and the inflexible approach, he has no one else to blame but himself... INEOS and their ‘best-in-class’ claims should, however, feel a large brunt of the fan’s rage; this was a farce from beginning to end."

A counter-argument states: "It seems unreasonable to blame results when the team are joint fifth in the table... They’ve beaten top sides... and have lost only twice since 1 October. Just watching them you can see they’re a better team than last year."

The search for a permanent successor and the quest for consistency at Old Trafford begins once again.