Manchester United would have to pay Ruben Amorim £12million if they sack the Portuguese coach within the first year of his contract at Old Trafford.
The United hierarchy continue to back Amorim and are refusing to panic despite the club’s worst start to a league season in 33 years.
United appointed Amorim on November 1 last year on a two-and-a-half-year deal worth £6.5m a season with the option of a 12-month extension, after agreeing to pay Sporting Lisbon £9.2m to buy him out of his contract in Portugal.
It is understood that the 40-year-old would pocket £12m if he is axed before his first anniversary in the job, which is in less than seven weeks’ time.
United face a tricky run until that date, with Chelsea at home on Saturday followed by Brentford away and early-season upstarts Sunderland at home before the October international break, then Liverpool away and Brighton at home to close out the month. They then travel to Nottingham Forest on Amorim’s anniversary.
Although the Portuguese boss said in May that he would walk away without compensation if United decide he is no longer the right man, that is unlikely to be the case.
United can ill afford to pay off their sixth manager since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, with the club’s ongoing financial difficulties set to be revealed when their annual accounts are published at noon on Wednesday.
United hope that another change of manager won’t be needed, and believe the stats show an improvement this season – despite having just one win in four Premier League games and their Carabao Cup exit to League Two Grimsby Town.
Among the early bookmakers’ favourites if Amorim goes are his Portuguese compatriot Marco Silva of Fulham, Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner, Aston Villa’s Unai Emery and Andoni Iraola of Bournemouth.
It is understood that Ruben Amorim would pocket £12million in compensation if he is sacked by Manchester United before his first anniversary in the role, which is November 1
Oliver Glasner (left) of Crystal Palace and Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola are among the favourites to replace Amorim if he is sacked
No hiding place for Amorim
Worrying news in the wake of United’s defeat in the Manchester derby that some players are losing faith in Amorim’s methods, and sources have identified another issue with the embattled head coach.
A number of figures close to the first-team squad are increasingly concerned that Amorim ‘hides when the going gets tough’ in matches, and does not do enough to inspire from the technical area.
Much was made of Amorim’s decision not to watch the penalty shootout at Grimsby or Bruno Fernandes’ crucial spot-kick against Burnley, but his all-round demeanour on the sidelines has raised eyebrows in some quarters.
Amorim hid in the dugout at Grimsby Town, unable to watch his side’s humiliating Carabao Cup exit to the League Two side
A number of figures close to the first-team squad are increasingly concerned that Amorim ‘hides when the going gets tough’ in matches
What has not been called into question is the number of hours Amorim and his coaches have been putting in to try and turn things around.
While players had the best part of a week off following the 3-2 win over Burnley, they were all given heart-rate monitors to use during their time off, and rigorous training schedules to adhere to.
Those in United’s six-man leadership group – Fernandes, Harry Maguire, Lisandro Martinez, Diogo Dalot, Noussair Mazraoui and Tom Heaton – have reiterated internally that players need to take more responsibility for poor performances.
However, doubts over Amorim’s system and concerns over his motivational ability are lingering.
Ruben’s sharp exit
Interesting to see Amorim take questions from only four reporters after the Manchester derby defeat before he was taken out of the firing line by club staff.
Confidential understands United are concerned about how emotion can get the better of Amorim, especially in defeat. Last month, the United boss explained his post-match meltdown at Grimsby by saying that ‘sometimes I hate my players, sometimes I want to quit’.
On Sunday, he doubled down on his football philosophy, suggesting he would rather be sacked than change, before a surprisingly short press conference was brought to a close.
The 40-year-old’s other memorable post-match remarks include saying that his team were probably the worst in United’s history and that he would rather play his 63-year-old goalkeeper coach than pick Marcus Rashford, not to mention the comment about Kobbie Mainoo fighting for a place with Fernandes, which played a part in the youngster’s desire to go out on loan.
United are concerned about how emotion can get the better of Amorim, especially in defeat
Slashes to VIP seats
United sparked controversy when they forced long-standing season-ticket holders out of their seats behind the dugouts in order to install a new VIP hospitality area as part of a money-making move.
But it appears uptake has not quite been what the club had hoped. Packages for Saturday’s clash with Chelsea, offering ‘one of the best seats in the house’ in the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand, have been reduced by up to £200.
The price, which includes off-site hospitality at premium restaurants in Manchester, is £599 – as it is for the next Category A game against Newcastle in December.
But sources said the average hospitality ticket sold for the match against Chelsea is £500, with some now on sale for as low as £399. United say that this price only applies to the last remaining seats, which are mainly singles.
In the summer, United justified the unpopular decision by highlighting how other clubs, including Chelsea and Barcelona, have hospitality areas behind the dugouts.
City slackers
As if a comprehensive defeat in the Etihad derby wasn’t bad enough, the financial gap between United and City will be laid bare when the club releases its annual accounts at noon on Wednesday.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe warned in March that United could have gone bust by Christmas without another of savage cost-cutting measures that has led to the loss of 200 more jobs, taking the total number of redundancies under Ineos to 450.
It will be interesting to see United’s fourth quarter results up to June 30, a year after the club reported a net loss of £113.2million in their annual accounts. Last month, it emerged that City generated £349m in commercial revenue in 2023-24, £47m more than United.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe and chief executive Omar Berrada are set for more pain when United release their financial accounts on Wednesday
Lammens’ lasting impression
Fans are having to be patient as they wait to see new goalkeeper Senne Lammens in action after Amorim elected to stick with Altay Bayindir for the Manchester derby defeat to City.
But inside the squad, Lammens has already dazzled and left an impression on the other goalkeepers, notably veteran Tom Heaton.
‘It’s only been a few days training but he seems like a really good lad,’ Heaton said on the Training Ground Guru podcast. ‘He’s calm but a strong personality. His goalkeeping fundamentals are very impressive and I think I said that to him after a couple of days training!
’Twenty-three years old coming into Manchester United, first few days training and he’s been very impressive so far. I really like his goalkeeping fundamentals.’
That will be music to the ears of United fans having recently dealt with the unorthodox goalkeeping style of the recently departed Andre Onana and the indecisiveness, particularly on set-pieces, of Bayindir.
After another underwhelming display in the derby by Bayindir, Amorim has to weigh up how much longer he is prepared to hold out Lammens with crucially important games against Chelsea, Brentford and Sunderland coming up in the next three weeks.
Inside the squad, Senne Lammens has already dazzled and left an impression on the other goalkeepers
Life’s a beach for Onana
Onana has moved into a beachside apartment overlooking the Black Sea after joining Turkish side Trabzonspor from United for the rest of the season.
Confidential revealed last week that Onana’s family will relocate to Boston in the US and rent out their home in Hale, while he lives with his brother Christian in Trabzon.
Onana made his debut in Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to Fenerbahce, and although there was some criticism of the parry that led to Youssef En-Nesyri scoring the only goal, it neglected the fact that he was voted man of the match for making eight saves for Trabzonspor, who went down to 10 men in the 20th minute.
The 29-year-old is said to have impressed club officials with his down-to-earth nature and the way he has mixed with the younger players. Onana will make his home debut against Gaziantep on Saturday.
Andre Onana was voted man of the match on debut for Trabzonspor, who went down to 10 men in the 20th minute
Rising star Etienne on trial
Senegalese winger Etienne Mendy is the latest exciting youngster to go on trial at Carrington as United look to expand their collection of future stars.
Mendy, 17, plays for Diambars FC and shone for Senegal at the recent Under 17s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco, as his country reached the quarter-final stage. Known for his superb dribbling skills, Mendy will be hoping to become the latest up-and-coming star signed by United, who have focused more on recruiting young talent since the Ineos takeover.
That ranges from big investments such as Leny Yoro (£59m) and Patrick Dorgu (£25m) to prospects with big potential, like Chido Obi, Ayden Heaven and Mali midfielder Sekou Kone.
Top marks for Fletcher
One Manchester United manager who is getting things right is Under 18s boss Darren Fletcher, whose side have won all four games to start the season without conceding a goal.
Fletcher was part of the first-team setup with Amorim last season, but he wanted to kickstart his own management journey.
Sources close to the Under 18s speak incredibly highly of the level of coaching Fletcher is delivering, and one insider added that he is delivering training sessions to a first team standard as well as intensity.
United are the only side in Under 18s Premier League North or South not to concede a goal, and that is being rewarded with youngsters such as 17-year-old right back Yuel Helafu being drafted into first-team training on Monday.
Fletcher’s side travel to a struggling Wolves team on Saturday before their biggest test of the season arrives the following week as they take on Manchester City, who are top of the league on goal difference. And for those wondering, Fletcher plays 4-3-3!
Darren Fletcher’s Under 18s have been on fire in recent weeks, winning their first four league games without conceding a goal
Jimmy’s spot on
Speaking of that Under 18s group, it’s important to give credit to Jim Thwaites this week.
The 17-year-old was drafted into full first team training last Friday – along with fellow academy midfielders Shea Lacey, plus Fletcher’s twin sons Jack and Tyler – and 24 hours later he played a full 90 minutes and scored the game-winning penalty for the Under 18s, while wearing the captain’s armband.
Thwaites is one of the youngsters Amorim likes most, despite his reticence in recent times to actually use them in matches. Academy sources have been full of praise for Thwaites’ temperament as he spreads himself across Under 18s, Under 21s and occasional sessions with the first team.
It was Thwaites who made the best impression of the youngsters that took part in the post-season tour to Malaysia and Hong Kong.
Stars give old boys a boost
It’s six months since Gary Neville backed Ratcliffe into a corner over the ‘cruel decision’ by Ineos to pull the plug on United’s £40,000 annual donation to the club’s former players’ association, and suggested a fundraising dinner and auction instead.
Within a few weeks, an event to honour ex-United striker Andy Cole went a long way towards making up the lost funds for the Association of Former Manchester United Players, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.
On Thursday, another star-studded event will raise funds for the AFMUP and the Manchester Munich Memorial Foundation when Old Trafford hosts the Grand Charity Sportsman’s Dinner.
Prominent in the auction will be a copy of History of United, written by Harry Harris and Carl England, with a foreword by Bryan Robson and artwork by the renowned Paul Trevillion.
Many stars featured in the book have signed their pages including Ryan Giggs, Paul Ince, Robson, Viv Anderson and Martin Buchan. Trevillion’s original artwork will also be auctioned off, with proceeds going to the two charities.
Paul Ince and Bryan Robson are among the United stars to have signed their pages of a copy of History of United, which will be auctioned off to support the club’s former players
Ryan Giggs signs his page of the book, written by Harry Harris and Carl England
‘Working on this book with the iconic artist Paul Trevillion and my hero Bryan Robson has been an honour and privilege,’ England tells Confidential. ‘As a United fan of 50 years, I’m proud to be part of this wonderful project – which celebrates the club’s rich history, both good and bad – and play my part in donating part of the profits it raises to give back to those who have made the club what it is today.’
Protesters united
Protest group The 1958 have told Confidential they intend to unite fan groups under one charter, working together for the first time in 20 years against club decisions that directly impact United fans.
‘Our club leadership team do not consult with the fan base,’ said a spokesman for The 1958. ‘They’ve decided that dictating decisions that impact the match-going support is their interpretation of fan engagement.
‘If that’s the case, then every action needs a reaction which has to be a joint decision and backed by all fan groups for maximum impact. Things need to change.’
