1. Ruben Amorim made the decision for Manchester United
Manchester United could have sacked Ruben Amorim for performance reasons any number of times. They were one of the worst teams in the Premier League under his leadership, after all. They never did, which shows how patient Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS were willing to be. There is plenty of evidence that they wanted to make this work. Amorim also can't argue that he wasn't backed in the transfer market after all the money United spent this summer.
Monday's decision to move on from Amorim was not because of the recent poor results. Any mildly competent leader simply will not allow a subordinate to act the way Amorim did in his press conference. Amorim knew that and apparently concluded that he had had enough. This was not another one of the many mistakes Radcliffe and the United leadership group have made. It was the only way for the club to move forward.
2. An interim manager makes a lot of sense for United
When there is a managerial vacancy at a club like United, the candidates are typically current Premier League managers having success and some of the most accomplished coaches in the sport. It just so happens that there is an impressive list of those people who will theoretically be available in the summer. Oliver Glasner. Andoni Iraola. Thomas Tuchel. Mauricio Pochettino. Carlo Ancelotti. Julian Nagelsmann. The only one without Premier League experience is Nagelsmann.
Most of those managers aren't leaving right before the World Cup. The ones who aren't currently employed by national teams can't leave without their club’s permission. If United wait and put someone in charge on a temporary basis to finish out the season, odds are that there will be more big-time managers looking for work than clubs they're willing to work at. For all of their issues, United may end up being the most attractive job available. They just need to be patient.
3. Barcelona have Real Madrid beat in every area
It would be one thing if Barcelona were only getting the better of Real Madrid in La Liga. That's happened regularly throughout the Lionel Messi and post-Messi eras. Los Blancos win the league every now and then, but the club’s reputation is built on winning trophies, specifically the European Cup. They did not lift any silverware last season. Another opportunity went to waste with Sunday's 3-2 El Clásico loss in the Supercopa de España final.
Barcelona are the defending La Liga champions and are on track to win it again. They've already successfully defended their Supercopa title and have won five of the last six meetings with Real Madrid. Most humiliating of all, La Blaugrana were minutes away from the Champions League final while Real Madrid bowed out in the quarterfinals. A world in which Barcelona are dominating the league, winning the Clásicos and collecting the other trophies will not be tolerated. Fair or not, Xabi Alonso needs to change the narrative fast.
4. Liam Rosenior has his work cut out for him
Liam Rosenior’s new bosses at Chelsea did not do him any favors. His supporters are skeptical and angry for completely understandable reasons. The only way to fix that is to win immediately. Rosenior will be expected to operate within the BlueCo model and continue playing the same style. There is very little opportunity for him to introduce his own ideas and philosophy. Oh, and he's competing for four trophies with a group of players who seemed to like the guy he replaced.
If he succeeds in a way his predecessors did not, it will either be because he's an extraordinarily good coach or Chelsea’s player trading plan actually started working. If he's gone in the next two years, it will likely be for circumstances outside of his control. Maybe he's the perfect fit for this bizarre setup. The point is that there are reasons why he has this job and managers with much better resumes do not. He has to justify that while only being able to change so much.
5. Brenden Aaronson is in the form of his life
Brenden Aaronson should have a spot on the U.S. World Cup team for two simple reasons. First, the other guys getting minutes in the Premier League are regular starters. Aaronson’s team is right next to the one Tyler Adams plays for in the league table. Logically, it follows that he should at least make the squad. Second, Aaronson is one of the very best defensive attacking players in the world. His value does not come from what he can do with the ball. It comes from what he does without it.
Every team needs a player like that. It doesn't matter whether he's directly contributing to goals or not. Now that Aaronson has three goals and two assists in his last seven Premier League appearances, he is leaving Mauricio Pochettino with absolutely no choice. This country just doesn't produce many players who regularly score in the Premier League. Aaronson will probably never truly be that guy either, but there is no denying what he is doing with a World Cup just half a year away.