End of an error at Old Trafford as project promising change comes to nothing

The end of yet another error. Manchester United’s decision to sack Ruben Amorim midway through the season leaves the club in rebuild mode for a second consecutive campaign, their commitment to this latest project unceremoniously abandoned.

In March, Sir Jim Ratcliffe had boldly claimed that Amorim was doing a great job. Omar Berrada, the club's chief executive, argued that come the summer the worst would be behind them. As both are belatedly learning, things can always get worse at United.

August brought defeat to fourth-tier opposition for the first time in their history, Amorim unable to watch as United were dumped out of the Carabao Cup by Grimsby. Fiddling with his tactics board that night, he became the face that launched 1,000 memes.

September brought defeat at Brentford, a game which ended with Amorim repeating his experiment of playing Mason Mount at left wing-back. Only October brought some relief, an unexpected win over Liverpool at Anfield and the manager of the month award.

But, in November, they were beaten by Everton at Old Trafford, losing a Premier League home game against 10 men for the first time. In December, they somehow contrived to allow a Wolves team that had lost their previous 12 matches to leave with a point.

It ends in January after a draw at Leeds, conceding in 15 consecutive away games for the first time in Premier League history. Not because of that result but because the relationship between Amorim and those above him had become broken beyond repair.

The realisation of how much work remained was a source of tension. Amorim had been given a new £200m forward line but still wanted more there and in almost every other area of the pitch. His demands came from a weak position as faith in him faded.

Berrada talked of a "very clear identity" but even that was being compromised by the end. Having moved on his wingers, he finally switched to a back four - inexplicably suggesting the reason he had not made the change earlier was because of the media.

Even then, after limping to victory over Newcastle in that system, he reverted back and failed to beat Wolves. Gary Neville was frustrated. That Amorim name-checked him after his final game in charge suggests those frustrations were shared within the club.

United's decision-makers will be criticised for this folly and rightly so. The award of a new contract to Erik ten Hag only to sack him in October of last season did not present the best conditions for Amorim to take the job - something he was acutely aware of.

It always came with risk. Liverpool opted against Amorim because of the incompatibility of his formation, going with the greater continuity afforded by appointing Arne Slot and being rewarded with the Premier League title. But Amorim was on their radar.

His reputation had been well earned, having had nothing but success at Portugal, building the best Sporting side for a generation, a first title in 19 years. And there were very good reasons why United were more amenable to change than Liverpool.

Having finished outside the top seven under Ten Hag, there was an appetite among supporters for something more than mere evolution and Ratcliffe was happy to sell that idea. He wanted to disrupt things at Old Trafford and Amorim could be his instrument.

But few could have anticipated it being quite so fraught.

Amorim was afforded extraordinary levels of patience and Ten Hag's own struggles only partially explain it. The Portuguese picked up fewer points in his first six games than the Dutchman had mustered in his last six - and things actually got worse from there.

Amorim averaged a point a game last season across 27 matches, putting them 16th in the table during that period - which is where they finished. Worth a reminder, perhaps, that while United were meandering when he arrived, they were only four points off third.

Failing to qualify for Europe changed the financial picture, slowing the pace of change and making it more difficult for Amorim to overhaul the squad. Although, his unwillingness to trust Kobbie Mainoo had some fans questioning his plans for it anyway.

There were grumbles when he refused to change shape when chasing games, making like-for-like substitutions in the devastating Europa League final defeat to Tottenham. The familiar sight of swapping centre-backs late on bewildered many at Old Trafford.

And yet, United's match-going supporters are a loyal bunch and few will be celebrating his exit. They had hoped against hope that this would work after more than a decade of disappointments. They were willing to trust that all this was actually going somewhere.

It is why, for all his failings, Amorim was undone by his comments as much as the results. Speaking about his relationship with the club in that press room in Leeds, he concluded: "[It] is going to finish in 18 months and then everyone is going to move on."

That laid bare to everyone the fact that this new path that Amorim was on was not leading to a new era, the next United dynasty. In his own words, even if the club were to let him to see out his deal, this project was already nearer to the end than the beginning.

Framed in that context, it was only natural to question the point in proceeding down said path. And so, having tried the big characters, the club heroes, United's investment in this tactical bright young thing has been aborted too. The end of yet another error.