Manchester United finished 15th in the Premier League last season. In that campaign, Amorim took over partway through following the sacking of Erik ten Hag. Amorim currently had United sixth in the division before his sacking.
Amorim had only won one game in his last five league games. However, it appeared likely he was to be sacked following comments he made after United's 1-1 draw with Leeds United.
Speaking on the power dynamics he faced, Amorim said, "I came here to be the manager of Manchester United, not to be the coach of Manchester United. And that is clear. I know that my name is not (Thomas) Tuchel, it's not (Antonio) Conte, it's not (Jose) Mourinho, but I'm the manager of Manchester United."
The former United manager appears to be saying that, as he is not a big name, the club's hierarchy treated him differently from how they would other coaches. The irony here is that his job title was as a manager and not a head coach. Sir Alex Ferguson had overall control at United, but managers since him have not; this appears to be a factor in the club's failures since the great man retired.
Managers these days talk themselves out of jobs
Amorim has never really appeared happy in his role at United. He has made some telling comments in the past, such as saying that they had the worst team in the history of the club. The remarks made following their game last Saturday were a step too far.
This is not the first time this season that a manager has pressed the self-destruct button. Nuno Espirito Santo lost his job at Nottingham Forest after talking negatively about his relationship with the owner, Evangelos Marinakis. Also, Enzo Maresca was shown the door at Chelsea soon after saying he did not feel supported at the club.
Perhaps the most astonishing outburst was when Conte criticized everything about Tottenham Hotspur following a 3-3 draw with Southampton back in 2023. The Italian was shown the door soon after, and many managers have since used a similar ploy to escape from a club.
No manager wants to resign, as then they will not get their big payoff. Amorim was contracted to United until 2027, so he will also be picking up a big wad of cash. The former United head coach can now return to Portugal and spend some time off before another opportunity arises.