Ruben Amorim at Man Utd: Growing tension between head coach and club hierarchy including director of football Jason Wilcox
Ruben Amorim and the Manchester United hierarchy are in disagreement over their January transfer window strategy and the team's tactical approach; Man Utd have won one of their last five games; watch Burnley vs Man Utd on Wednesday live on Sky Sports, kick-off 8.15pm
Monday 5 January 2026 10:07, UK
There is growing tension between Ruben Amorim and the hierarchy at Manchester United, including director of football Jason Wilcox.
While there is disagreement over their January transfer window strategy, there is a wider disagreement about the team's tactical approach going forward.
Amorim has been bullish about moving away from his preferred 3-4-3 system this season, which is understood to be at the root of an increasingly strained relationship with his bosses.
- Amorim: I came to Man Utd to be a manager, not a head coach
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When it comes to the transfer window, Amorim wants United to spend to help drive them into the Champions League places, while the club are currently continuing their long-term plan to develop the squad.
As Sky Sports News revealed last week, that includes a priority to sign at least one - maybe two - top central-midfield players in the summer, as well as potentially another winger, striker and centre-back.
From United's point of view, they are determined to avoid a return to short-term transfer spending and will stick to their long-term financial plan to develop the squad strategically over successive transfer windows.
Sky Sports News has been told that, while United's bosses are aware of how stretched the squad is right now, the feeling is that it will be considerably eased when three key players - Bryan Mbuemo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui - return from the Africa Cup of Nations over the next fortnight.
Clearly, Amorim is not currently satisfied with the amount of work being done behind the scenes to bring new players in sooner.
It is a common theme at football clubs, especially in January, that managers and head coaches want reinforcements to achieve an objective, while club bosses tend to show more restraint, and it creates tension. However, this does feel somewhat different with Amorim.
His latest outburst, following the draw at Leeds, in which he said he joined United to be their manager, not their head coach, came after two weeks of subtle comments in his media commitments targeted at the club's hierarchy.
He said on Christmas Eve to play his "perfect 3-4-3, we need to spend a lot of money - I'm starting to understand that is not going to happen", then a few days later spoke about the importance of finding "middle ground" between himself and Wilcox.
His mood, especially in his pre-match news conference ahead of the Leeds game, was notably different and cold compared to what the weekly media contingent have been used to and that continued in the lead-up to his explosive comments after the 1-1 draw at Elland Road.
Amorim has also made explosive statements before that have thrown his situation at the club into the air, quickly followed by some sort of clarification, blowing over in a week, especially if the next result is positive.
Carragher: Amorim is not good enough to be Manchester United boss
Sky Sports' Jamie Carragher:
"I don't think he is in any position whatsoever to be questioning the people who appointed him. Because he's not good enough. He's not good enough to be Manchester United's manager. He's barely competent enough to be a Premier League manager right now."
On why Amorim is speaking out:
"It can only be two things. It can either be about the January transfer market, that he's not being backed. Or the people above him are questioning that he's flip-flopping between systems.
"It started to look like he was getting somewhere with a back four, he went back to a five at the back against Wolves and it was possibly the worst performance from a team we've seen against Wolves this season."
Neville: Amorim is starting to unleash
Speaking on his Sky Sports podcast, Neville said:
"Something has happened in the last week which means that Amorim is starting to unleash a little bit.
"It looks to me that he is not happy with something in the hierarchy."
"Obviously, something is annoying him, he's obviously not feeling the support. He's obviously letting go. When you say that you came to the club as a manager... I thought he was appointed as the head coach and quite clearly appointed to coach the team.
"Manager is a title that we don't see anymore. Manager suggests that he's saying he wants to manage more than just the training ground performance, he wants to oversee other parts of the club."
Timeline: Amorim's destructive quotes
December 24: Amorim admits that he may not get the money necessary to perfect his 3-4-3 system.
In his pre-Newcastle press conference, Amorim said: "I have the feeling that if we have to play perfect 3-4-3, we need to spend a lot of money and we need time, I'm starting to understand that is not going to happen and maybe I have to adapt."
Dan Khan's analysis: "This was the first sign of Amorim admitting that there had clearly been some background conversations around his system and that their January spending may have to be rethought.
"It was also the first time the United boss had admitted he may have to adapt his system due to these factors. Previously, Amorim had mentioned he would evolve his system when he feels it is the right time, but that choice may be taken out of his own hands."
December 26: Amorim says common ground has to be found with the board and director of football Jason Wilcox.
Speaking after the Newcastle game, Amorim said: "We are doing things sometimes, I have one idea, Jason and board have another idea - every decision that we make, we need to reach a common ground.
"That is really important because you don't need to make everything for the manager because a manager can change and you need to change everything, but you always need to understand that the manager understands the way of playing.
"We are trying every player who comes here, if you don't reach common ground, the player will not come."
January 2: Amorim has an unsettling news conference with an evident mood change.
You said recently you are now starting to understand that to play your 3-4-3, you'd have to have a lot of top players and you're starting to understand that's not possible - why didn't you realise that when you first came into the club or can you clarify what you meant exactly?
"I don't want to talk about that, I just focus on the Leeds game."
It's not like you to not want to talk about it? Do you regret it?
"No, no but I don't want to talk about that."
Has something changed with regard to the budget, something you've been told, has Jason Wilcox maybe talked to you about it?
"I don't want to talk about that, but you are very smart."
Dan Khan's analysis: "This was about what Amorim did not say rather than what he did. As soon as the United boss walked into the room, the energy felt different.
"Even after difficult results against Grimsby and Brentford this season Amorim had always come into his next news conference with a smile and maybe a joke - easing the tension in the room ahead of tough questions. There was a coldness to his answers, the spark in his eyes was not visible."
January 4: Amorim sensationally claims that he joined Manchester United to be their manager, not their head coach.
Dan Khan's analysis: "Despite being appointed as United's head coach over 12 months ago, his repeated assertion that he will be the 'manager' of the club and just the 'coach' was a clear sign of how he feels.
"To call out the names of Thomas Tuchel, Antonio Conte and Jose Mourinho - and almost self-depreciate himself but at the same time demand the same respect was an interesting method to signify his point."
Man Utd's next five fixtures
- January 7: Burnley (A) - Premier League, kick-off 8.15pm, live on Sky Sports
- January 11: Brighton (H) - FA Cup third round, kick-off 4.30pm
- January 17: Man City (H) - Premier League, kick-off 12.30pm, live on Sky Sports
- January 25: Arsenal (A) - Premier League, kick-off 4.30pm, live on Sky Sports
- February 1: Fulham (H) - Premier League, kick-off 2pm, live on Sky Sports
