Former Manchester United assistant manager Rui Faria has launched a stinging critique of Ineos following the dismissal of Ruben Amorim, accusing the club’s new ownership of stripping coaches of real power
and prioritising spreadsheets over silverware.
Amorim was sacked on Monday after just 14 months in charge, despite public assurances from Sir Jim Ratcliffe earlier this season that the Portuguese coach would be given time to rebuild.
United currently sit seventh in the Premier League, with Darren Fletcher stepping in as caretaker.
Faria, who worked closely with Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford, believes Amorim’s fate highlights a deeper flaw in INEOS’ operating model.
Jose Mourinho’s assistant at #mufc, Rui Faria, has posted this on IG 😬 pic.twitter.com/8hYVmkO3D0
— UtdDistrict (@UtdDistrict) January 9, 2026
In a pointed Instagram post, the former United coach argued that modern clubs are no longer built around winning football — but around business structures that undermine coaches at every turn.
“A great club’s philosophy used to be about silverware,” Faria wrote. “Today, coaches are hired based on their willingness to accept a business plan.”
According to Faria, coaches are sold the illusion of control, only to find key decisions blocked by departments chasing their own targets — even if those targets come at the expense of results on the pitch.
“The club’s business plan is about numbers,” he said. “Each department protects its objectives, contesting any coaching decision that might affect them, regardless of performances.”
Faria warned that this fragmented approach weakens teams, turning football operations into a tug-of-war rather than a unified push for success.
“A winning team is more than the sum of its departments,” he added. “Department-by-department objectives often come at the cost of points and trophies.”
His most damning line was reserved for the coach’s role in this structure.
“The coach still remains the face of an unsuccessful project, even when their power is reduced to almost nothing.”
