Alan Shearer has launched a scathing attack on the Manchester United hierarchy, holding them responsible for an 'absolute mess' of key decisions made since Sir Jim Ratcliffe became a minority shareholder at Old Trafford.
Amorim's Explosive Exit
The Premier League's record goalscorer was speaking in the wake of United's decision to dismiss head coach Ruben Amorim. The Portuguese manager was sacked less than 24 hours after a fiery press conference following a draw with Leeds United, where he publicly criticised sporting director Jason Wilcox and pundit Gary Neville.
Shearer, on The Rest is Football podcast, stated that Amorim's position became untenable. "In whatever job you're in, in life you can't criticise your bosses like he did," Shearer said. "Otherwise, you're going to run the risk of getting sacked." He added that the manager's results were "nowhere near good enough" to justify such an outburst.
A Catalogue of Leadership Errors
However, Shearer was clear that the blame does not rest solely with the departed coach. He pinpointed a series of missteps by the club's leadership, led by Ratcliffe's INEOS group, since their arrival.
"The people running the football club have to accept the blame as well," Shearer asserted. "They made an absolute mess of it. If you look at every corner that they've tried to turn and every decision that they've made, it's been an absolute joke."
He then listed a damning catalogue of what he perceives as seven critical errors:
- Giving Erik ten Hag a new contract.
- Subsequently sacking Erik ten Hag.
- Paying compensation to Newcastle United for Dan Ashworth, only for him to go on gardening leave.
- Later sacking Dan Ashworth and paying him a settlement.
- Appointing Ruben Amorim but not insisting he start immediately.
- Paying significant money for Amorim and his coaching staff.
- Sacking Amorim just 14 months later.
"The owners, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Wilcox, [CEO Omar] Berrada, they have to accept their blame as well," Shearer concluded, "because they have made an absolute mess of every decision since they've been in there."
Debate Over Timing and Strategy
Shearer's co-host, former Manchester City defender Micah Richards, questioned the timing of Amorim's dismissal. While agreeing the manager's comments made his position unstable, Richards argued the club was not far from Champions League places and could have used the January transfer window to improve.
"I don't think it was the right time to get rid of him," Richards said. "You have to start again... I just don't understand the plan." He referenced rumours of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer returning temporarily and links to Thomas Tuchel as evidence of confusion.
Richards expressed particular concern given the reputation of incoming CEO Omar Berrada, formerly of Manchester City, for stable operations. "The decisions, it seems like nobody knows what they're doing," he said, "which is frightening at the level we're talking about with a club the size of Manchester United."
The fallout leaves Manchester United searching for yet another manager, with the club's strategic direction under its new part-ownership facing intense scrutiny from legends and fans alike.
