Monday Night Club: Amorim sacked — tactics or politics? More Celtic chaos and Chelsea’s latest gamble

8 snips

Jan 5, 2026

Guest

Rory Smith

Rory Smith, an experienced football writer, and Chris Sutton, a former striker and pundit, join Simon Stone, BBC Chief Football News Reporter, and ex-Manchester United defender Phil Jones in a lively discussion. They dissect the contentious sacking of Ruben Amorim and explore the reasons behind managerial upheavals at Manchester United and Celtic. Insights reveal the role of sporting directors in England, the challenges of a three-man defense, and the potential arrival of Liam Rosenior at Chelsea—highlighting modern coaching dynamics and the need for clear leadership.

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INSIGHT

Sacking Was A Power Battle

Ruben Amorim's dismissal reflected a power struggle, not just poor results or tactics.
Simon Stone and Rory Smith argue he lost a battle with sporting director Jason Wilcox and club leadership.

ANECDOTE

Manager Not Coach Declaration

Amorim publicly declared he came to be "the manager" not "the coach" and insisted he'd stick to his plan.
That press-conference outburst crystallised tensions with the club hierarchy.

INSIGHT

System Leak Undermined Tactics

Manchester United's system became widely decoded early in the season.
Simon Stone says recruitment and tactical adjustments exposed Amorim's rigid three-at-the-back setup.

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Were tactics, results or politics to blame for Ruben Amorim’s sacking?

And are there similarities between Manchester United’s situation and that at Celtic, where Wilfried Nancy has been dismissed just 33 days into his tenure. His replacement? Martin O’Neill, the interim who he succeeded!

Former-United defender Phil Jones joins Izzy Christiansen, Rory Smith and Chris Sutton with Mark Chapman to discuss where it went wrong for Amorim at Old Trafford.

They explore the role of the sporting director in Britain compared to in European football, and why the relationship between the ‘head coach’ has been at fault for several recent departures.

Simon Stone, BBC Chief Football News Reporter, gives an insight into the behind-the-scenes rows that led to Amorim’s dismissal, while Jones explains what it’s like to try and learn a three-man defensive system.

Later in the show, BBC Scotland’s Tom English explains how Nancy’s arrival and departure demonstrates a larger complacency at Celtic.

And the panel consider how Strasbourg boss Liam Rosenior, a friend of the show, could fare at Chelsea and why this managerial move might represent something more significant in world football.

Timecodes: 00:15 Why was Amorim sacked — tactics, results or politics? 17:45 Can any coach have just one plan or system? And did United's pursuit of Semenyo show Amorim was willing to change? 20:45 What's next for United — an interim manager? How can they do it again? 26:06 How much criticism do INEOS have to take for their decisions since the partial takeover? 31:07 Why do sporting directors work less well in England than abroad? 36:50 Celtic sack Wilfried Nancy after just 33 days — what went wrong? 43:35 Who was to blame at board level for Celtic? With BBC Sport Scotland's Chief Sports Writer Tom English 46:20 Is there any kind of big-picture view at Celtic? 49:12 Who are favourites for the Scottish Premiership title now? 51:00 Friend of the MNC Liam Rosenior set to become Chelsea manager — what did we learn when he was on? 54:10 What sort of club are Chelsea showing themselves to be with this process? 55:50 Rory Smith on the 'disgrace' of Chelsea and Strasbourg's relationship