Reports on 13 May 2025 indicate that Manchester United plan to retain manager Rúben Amorim as head coach next season regardless of the outcome of the Europa League final. In other words, even if United lose the upcoming final against Tottenham Hotspur, the club’s hierarchy intend to stick with the Portuguese boss. This surprising vote of confidence comes amid one of United’s worst domestic seasons in decades, leaving many fans and pundits asking: why are United backing Amorim, and what does it mean for the club’s future?

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A Season of Struggle and a Europa League Lifeline

By any measure, Manchester United’s 2024/25 season has been disastrous in the Premier League. The Red Devils are currently 16th in the table, suffering 17 league defeats – their worst top-flight performance since the 1973-74 relegation season. Sunday’s 2-0 home loss to West Ham was United’s ninth defeat at Old Trafford, equalling an unwanted club record. Such form has the Old Trafford faithful in disbelief and anger, witnessing a giant of English football flirting with the relegation zone.

Ironically, the Europa League has been the one bright spot in an otherwise miserable campaign. Under Amorim, United have stormed to the Europa League final – including a 7-1 aggregate thrashing of Athletic Club in the semi-finals – offering a rare glimmer of hope. They will face Tottenham in the final in Bilbao on 21 May, with the prize not just of a trophy but qualification for next season’s Champions League on the line. For a club in 16th place, lifting the Europa League would be a dramatic salvation, a route back into Europe’s top competition that could salvage some pride and revenue. Amorim himself admitted “it is the least we can do for these fans” to deliver a trophy after such a tough season. In many ways, the Europa League run has been a lifeline – both as a chance at silverware and as a morale boost for supporters – even as the league campaign hits historic lows.

Rúben Amorim’s Appointment and Tactical Approach

Rúben Amorim arrived at Old Trafford in November 2024, replacing Erik ten Hag after United’s poor start to the season. The 40-year-old Portuguese came with a burgeoning reputation from Sporting Lisbon, where he won two Portuguese league titles and two league cups in a four-year spell. At Sporting, Amorim was known for a clear tactical identity built around a 3-4-3 (3-4-2-1) formation, short-passing possession football, and an aggressive pressing system. United’s decision to appoint him was driven by the hope that he could instill this modern, proactive style and halt the club’s post-Ferguson decline.

Implementing his philosophy at United mid-season, however, has proven extremely challenging. Amorim inherited a squad assembled for his predecessor’s system, and the transition to a back-three and high press has been bumpy. There have been flashes of what Amorim’s United could become – for instance, some free-flowing attacking displays in Europe – but consistency has been lacking. Injuries to key players (such as Lisandro Martínez and Matthijs de Ligt in defence) and a bloated, imbalanced squad have not helped matters. The coach has openly acknowledged deeper issues with the team’s mindset and culture. After one defeat, Amorim vented that United were “losing the feeling that we are a massive club”, warning that a lack of fear of defeat had crept into the dressing room. This season, he’s repeatedly stressed the need to change the club’s culture and attitude as much as tactics on the pitch.

It’s also worth noting that Amorim joined on a long contract (reportedly until 2027), reflecting the club’s initial commitment to a long-term project. Still, the results under his tenure have been dire so far – only six wins in 25 Premier League games – and he was unable to prevent early exits from domestic cups (United were knocked out of the FA Cup by Fulham and the League Cup by Spurs). In press conferences, Amorim has cut a frustrated figure, at times even questioning whether he is the right man if things don’t improve: “If we start like this [next season]… we should give the space to different people,” he conceded pointedly. Clearly, the former Sporting coach has found the United job to be an entirely different scale of challenge, with morale and standards at the club hitting rock bottom.

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Why the United Board Are Sticking with Amorim

Given this backdrop, many observers assumed Amorim’s job would be on the line if United failed to win the Europa League. Yet the club’s board and ownership are taking a longer-term view. Sources at the club suggest that Amorim’s position is safe irrespective of the Europa outcome – the hierarchy have “drawn up a long-term plan with Amorim” and are not considering sacking him at this stage. In fact, United’s leadership feel he deserves a summer transfer window to reshape the squad in his image and bring in players suited to his tactics. Despite his “horrific” win–loss record so far, the powers-that-be believe constant managerial churn is not the answer and that Amorim can still come good if properly backed.

Part of this backing may be influenced by Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s involvement. Ratcliffe’s INEOS group is poised to take a minority stake in United and oversee football operations, and reports indicate he and other power brokers have set realistic targets for Amorim. Regardless of a Europa League triumph or not, a top-six Premier League finish is deemed an acceptable goal for next season. In other words, the club is effectively resetting expectations: after a year fighting relegation, even just returning to the upper half-dozen would count as progress. This pragmatic approach suggests the board recognise the depth of the rebuild required. As one report put it, United’s board (under Ratcliffe’s influence) knows “rebuilding takes years” and doesn’t want a knee-jerk sacking to derail the longer project. The feeling inside Old Trafford is that chopping and changing managers has only worsened the post-Ferguson turmoil, and that stability and patience – however uncomfortable in the short term – might yield better results.

Amorim’s own brutal honesty about the state of the club may have oddly earned him credit with the board as well. He has not sugar-coated the “decisive moment” United find themselves in, calling out the lack of urgency and demanding cultural change. This candour, while essentially highlighting his own failures this season, signals to the hierarchy that he understands the scale of the problem. The board appears willing to give him the opportunity to fix it, rather than starting over yet again with a new coach. It’s a stance that carries risks – but the United decision-makers seem convinced that sticking with Amorim (for now) is better than another reset.

Fan Frustrations and Media Reactions

Unsurprisingly, the decision to keep faith in Amorim has met a mixed response among Manchester United supporters and football media. A large section of the fanbase is frustrated and angry – after all, seeing United hovering near the relegation zone is a nightmare few could have imagined. Chants of discontent have been heard at Old Trafford and on social media many fans have been calling for a drastic overhaul. In their view, finishing 16th (or lower) is simply unacceptable for Manchester United, and normally such a disastrous season would cost the manager his job. The idea of persevering with the current boss despite this failure has left some supporters sceptical. “He’s out of his depth,” say the critics, pointing to the lack of any league improvement under Amorim and questioning whether the players are responding to him. Every bad result has piled pressure on the coach, and it’s safe to say Amorim has not won over the United fanbase yet.

However, there are also fans who begrudgingly acknowledge that deeper issues – from player attitude to recruitment – have plagued United for years, and they caution that no manager could fix this mess overnight. This more patient camp is willing to give Amorim the summer to bring in his own players and start fresh in August. They point to examples like Mikel Arteta at Arsenal, who endured a couple of rocky seasons before improvement, suggesting that a clear-out and time to implement a vision could yet see Amorim come good. Essentially, these fans accept 2024/25 as a write-off and are judging Amorim on the rebuild ahead rather than the chaos he inherited mid-season.

The media reaction has mirrored these contrasting views. Many pundits have been scathing about United’s performances, often lambasting the team’s apparent lack of fight and cohesion. Club legend Roy Keane, for example, has decried the “embarrassing” standards at Old Trafford this season (as Amorim himself echoed) and questioned whether the players are playing for the shirt. Others have directly queried Amorim’s impact; if a manager can only win six of 25 league games, is he really the right man for the job? At the same time, some analysts have noted positive signs amid the gloom. Jamie Redknapp and others have praised Amorim’s honesty and accountability in facing United’s problems, calling it a refreshing change. They see his willingness to publicly address the club’s malaise – such as admitting he feels “embarrassed” by the league position and that the club has lost its fear of failure – as a step in the right direction. Still, even those sympathetic to Amorim concede that “results don’t lie”. The consensus in the press is that while United’s board might be right to avoid another hasty sacking, Amorim will be under immense pressure once the new season starts. If the dreadful form continues into next autumn, even the current supportive stance may quickly evaporate.

Summer Rebuild Plans and Next Season’s Implications

Backing Rúben Amorim through this low point signals that the club will also back him in the summer transfer window – within reason. Significant squad changes are expected at Manchester United after the Europa League final, whoever the opponent. Amorim has reportedly identified several targets he believes can kick-start his project. Topping the list are Matheus Cunha (the Wolves forward) and Liam Delap (a young striker impressing at Ipswich), players seen as fitting his tactical approach and injecting fresh energy. However, pursuing these signings won’t be straightforward. Cunha and Delap come with hefty release clauses (£62.5m and £30m respectively) and, given United’s lack of Champions League football unless they win the Europa, the club may need to raise funds via player sales to afford them.

Indeed, a clear-out of underperforming or wantaway stars is on the horizon. One high-profile expected departure is academy graduate Marcus Rashford – a year ago the face of United’s attack, now out of favour and currently on loan at Aston Villa. Villa have a £40m option to buy Rashford, and United appear ready to let him go for the right price. Other big names could follow. Big-money signings who haven’t delivered, such as Jadon Sancho and Antony, might be sold to recoup funds, and even stalwarts like Casemiro could be sacrificed to trim the wage bill and refresh the squad. There’s also speculation around young striker Rasmus Højlund’s future, given he would command a significant fee if cashed in. In short, United’s hierarchy seem prepared to give Amorim a chance to mold the squad, but that will partly be financed by trimming the existing squad’s fat.

How the summer rebuild goes will heavily influence United’s fortunes in 2025/26. If Amorim can bring in a few key players suited to his style – and instill the mentality shift he’s been calling for – the aim will be to make United competitive again, at least for European places. The internal target of a top-six finish next season shows the club is tempering expectations. A title challenge is far off the radar; instead, the focus is on steady progress: climbing back up the league, restoring pride at Old Trafford, and re-establishing an identity on the pitch. Qualifying for any European competition (be it Champions League or even Europa League again) would be seen as a success given this year’s nadir.

One big implication of keeping Amorim is continuity – the new season would not start from scratch with new tactics and ideas, but rather be a continuation of Amorim’s project with hopefully better tools at his disposal. This could benefit players who struggled to adapt mid-season; a full pre-season under Amorim’s methods might yield improvements in coherence and fitness. On the flip side, the pressure on Amorim will be intense. The board may be preaching patience, but another string of poor results when the Premier League resumes would test that patience severely. As Amorim himself acknowledged, he cannot preside over “a next season like this” one. Early fixtures in August will be scrutinised; a bad start could still bring the spectre of dismissal back to the fore despite all the current assurances.

For now, though, Manchester United are making a bold bet on stability. Retaining Rúben Amorim signals an intent to learn from past mistakes of chopping and changing. The Europa League final remains hugely important – a win would vindicate the board’s faith and grant United a golden ticket to the Champions League, while a loss would compound the season’s misery – but either way, the club is looking beyond one game towards a long-term rebuild. United fans will be hoping that this show of faith in Amorim pays off, and that with a revamped squad and a hard reset over the summer, the team can finally start climbing back towards where it belongs.

Manchester United to Back Ruben Amorim as Manager – Even if Europa League Final is Lost

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