Pep Guardiola says sacked Ruben Amorim was close to Arsenal level

Pep Guardiola believes Ruben Amorim was not far away from building a Manchester United side capable of competing near the top of the Premier League, despite the club’s decision to sack him after just 14 months in charge.

Speaking on Tuesday ahead of Manchester City’s Premier League clash with Brighton & Hove Albion, Guardiola was asked for his reaction to United’s move. The City boss struck a sympathetic tone, pointing to fine margins and a lack of patience in modern football.

Amorim was dismissed following an explosive post-match press conference after United’s 1-1 draw with Leeds, where he publicly criticised the club’s hierarchy. Despite that, Guardiola was keen to stress his respect for the Portuguese coach.

“Like what happened with Enzo,” Guardiola said, referencing Enzo Maresca, who was recently sacked by Chelsea. “I cannot say anything for the respect of the players and institutions. Like Enzo, he is a top manager. The decision has been made by our neighbours. I wish Ruben all the best in the future.”

Guardiola suggested that United’s league position could look very different had results in a handful of home games gone their way. United currently sit sixth, but Guardiola highlighted dropped points at Old Trafford as decisive.

“Sometimes you need a process and time,” he added. “At United, they draw three games at home — against Everton who had 10 against 11 for 70 minutes, against Bournemouth and Wolves. They could have been close to Arsenal.”

Those results proved costly. United have managed just one win in their last five home matches, beating Newcastle on Boxing Day, while Everton, West Ham, Bournemouth and Wolves all took points at Old Trafford — with Everton even winning despite playing with 10 men.

Guardiola, who is nearing a decade in charge at City, also reflected on the broader trend of diminishing patience for managers across Europe.

“I don’t think there’s a country where if you don’t win games you are safe,” he said.
“They hire you with a perspective for your ideas and you are sacked for results. It doesn’t matter the past or the present.”

He also pointed to mitigating factors that had complicated Amorim’s spell, including injuries and absences.

“The gaps are so small and now you see United have had a lot of absences like we have right now. It’s difficult with players at the Africa Cup of Nations and important players not available.”

United’s form under Amorim had shown flashes of improvement, but consistency — particularly at home — never fully arrived. Injuries and AFCON call-ups further stretched an already thin squad, leaving little margin for error during a critical run of fixtures.

However, it remains too early to determine whether a longer runway would have allowed Amorim to turn performances into sustained results.

Manchester United are now expected to move quickly to stabilise results under interim leadership while assessing longer-term options. For Guardiola and City, attention turns back to the title race and Wednesday night’s test against Brighton.

Was Ruben Amorim dismissed too early — or were Manchester United right to act decisively?