‘Why does this keep happening?’ – Owen Hargreaves ‘surprised’ by Manchester United sacking Ruben Amorim

Former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves has told TNT Sports that he was “surprised” Ruben Amorim was sacked and has called on the club hierarchy to take some responsibility.

The Red Devils have failed to find any consistency under Amorim since he was appointed last year following the dismissal of Erik ten Hag.

Defiant Amorim comes out fighting: ‘I am the manager, not the coach’

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Speaking in an exclusive interview with TNT Sports, former United player Hargreaves was perplexed by the timing of the decision.

“I was surprised, and I think everybody was surprised by the decision to sack Amorim,” he said. “United weren’t playing exceptionally well, but they were still in a position where finishing in the top four or five was realistic.

“At Chelsea, it seems there were a lot of cooks in the kitchen, and when a lot of people have opinions, not all of them can align. Maybe something similar happened with Ruben and United and that’s why communication is super important.

“I feel sorry for him, the club and the fans. At the end of the day, everyone is just trying to do their best. Ruben managed a massive club in Portugal and had huge success, which meant everyone was excited to see what he could produce here.

“Unfortunately, it didn’t materialise in the way he envisioned. I think his communication level was remarkable and, if anything, I think he overshared and communicated too much, but there’s no denying that he’s a top manager.

“He has proven that, but this is a different league with greater competition and expectancy at Manchester United. Ruben will be fine in the future because he’s an incredible communicator, he’s a smart guy, a gentleman and, hopefully, he’ll enjoy great success. I’m sure he wanted to finish the job here but it wasn’t meant to be.”

‘The owners need to take some responsibility’

Amorim becomes the sixth permanent manager to depart from Old Trafford since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013.

Darren Fletcher will take charge of the team for Wednesday’s clash at Burnley with reports claiming that United will name a caretaker manager until the end of the season before appointing a permanent boss in the summer.

There are claims that Amorim was pressured to make tweaks to his 3-4-3 approach by those above him and Hargreaves questioned the hierarchy for their role in the manager’s dismissal.

“Everybody wants the best for the football club, but the problem is when you have a lot of cooks in the kitchen, a lot of people have different opinions,” he explained.

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“Man United were not playing great but they were still in a position to reach their objectives, and without playing European football this season they could realistically qualify for the Champions League.

“I didn’t really see the sacking coming because they had already invested so much into the project. There’s a lot of stuff that we don’t see that goes on behind the scenes and I think the owners need to take some responsibility too.

“They’re the ones who employed Ruben and I don’t think it’s going to be as straight forward as they thought it was going to be – to start again with somebody who is probably going to play with a back four.

“The landscape is different now for managers. However, I don’t agree with the idea of people above making decisions while you’re trying to do your job as a manager. People shouldn’t tell others how to do their job.

“Ruben was employed to do his job and if he wants to play a certain way, you guys picked him to do that and let him get on with it. If you want to interfere, then that’s not going to work and maybe that’s what also happened with Maresca at Chelsea.

‘He makes things happen’ – Hargreaves hails Zirkzee impact in Leeds draw

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“I don’t think the fallout will hinder United from hiring their preferred candidate because it’s one of the greatest football clubs in the world, but what they need to look at is why are we here again?

“They’ve had some of the biggest names in charge with Louis van Gaal, David Moyes and Jose Mourinho, and then the emotional hiring of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. They’ve brought in people who have had success elsewhere, like Erik ten Hag, so why is it not working?

“United can probably get the best names out there, but why does this keep happening? Why do we keep having issues in terms of transfers? Once you figure out the answers to these questions, then you can go out and get the person who you think will be the best fit.

“United are still in a position where they can achieve their objective, and then they could’ve pushed on again in the summer. Now it’s a massive week for the football club and I feel sorry for everyone.

“People still think that by getting a new manager everything will be better, but it doesn’t work like that because there are so many variables to it. I just hope that the club gets it right.”

‘I hope that Marcus comes back’

Amorim also appeared to lose backing from sections of the fanbase following his dealings with the club’s academy talent, such as Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo.

Rashford was loaned out to Aston Villa last season before joining Barcelona on a season-long loan this term, while Mainoo has struggled for game time during Amorim’s tenure.

Hargreaves is hopeful that Amorim’s departure could lead to Rashford returning to the club and playing a part at Old Trafford in the future.

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“I hope that Marcus comes back because he’s a special player,” he said. “I don’t know what happened between Marcus and Ruben, but I don’t think there’s any denying his talent.

“I don’t think Marcus should’ve been in a position where he shouldered all the weight for everything. In our team, he would’ve been the third or fourth guy, so he wouldn’t have to bare all the responsibility because a lot of that would’ve been taken off his shoulders.

“There was too much emphasis on these young guys to be the main man, and they should never have found themselves in that position at just 20 years of age. They needed a striker who was 26-28 years old and then the youngsters could have learned the ropes like everyone did previously at the club.

“I think Marcus is a super talent and the club could use him. And with Kobbie, I think he’ll be straight back into the team with the side playing a back four.”

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