It was the second day of a new year, but the beginning of the end for Ruben Amorim. When he met Jason Wilcox on Friday, a meeting set off the chain of events that led to the Portuguese becoming the latest former Manchester United head coach. Or, Amorim would say, manager.
Wilcox, United’s director of football, was giving feedback. Amorim blew up. Not for the first time. A man who can be charming was also, as those at United could testify, emotional and erratic. But ever more had decided they could not put up with him any more. What Amorim probably did not realise, however, was that Wilcox was the last defending him, the last arguing he should be granted more time.