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Manchester United have announced the departure of manager their Portuguese head coach after just 14 months in charge. The announcement comes amid a growing power struggle over January funds and despite the team's unbeaten run.

What Sparked the Decision

Tensions between the manager and the club's leadership, particularly director of football the recruitment chief, had been strained for some time. The decisive moment is believed to have been comments made by the coach after the recent 1-1 draw with their rivals. He is said to have challenged the recruitment team to "focus on their duties," underscoring a fundamental rift.

"I came here to be the manager of Manchester United – not to be the coach. That is clear. I know my name is not among the elite names 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 Disappointing Spell

By the numbers, the Portuguese manager's time at Old Trafford was poor. He departs with a record of victories of less than 39 per cent and a league points average of just 1.24 in the top flight. The team lost more games than it won in the calendar year 2025.

However, his last matches in charge showed a slight improvement. United lost just one of his final eight matches and currently sit in sixth place in the Premier League table, just three points off the prized Champions League spots.

The Last Five Matches

• 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)

Club Announcement

In its official communication, 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 after careful consideration 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 short term, club legend Darren Fletcher will take charge on an caretaker basis. He is expected to be in the technical area for the upcoming league fixture against the Clarets.

For the long-term position, bookmakers and analysts are speculating a number of potential candidates. Names in the frame include Spanish tactician Xavi Hernández, the Austrian manager, England national team boss Southgate, and another promising coach.

The Court of Public Opinion

The sacking has sparked mixed reactions among supporters and observers. Some point to the underwhelming results and tactics as justification, while others argue the club's hierarchy must bear a large responsibility for continuous turmoil.

One viewpoint suggests: "{Between the generally poor 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 mess from beginning to end."

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

The hunt for a new manager and the quest for consistency at Manchester United begins anew.