Topics: Rio Ferdinand, Manchester United, Ruben Amorim, Premier League
Rio Ferdinand noticed a significant change in Ruben Amorim's demeanour when he last visited the Manchester United training ground.
Amorim was sacked by United on Monday morning, less than 24 hours after sending a far-from-subtle message to the club's football department, claiming he joined to be "a manager, not the coach".
"Every department, the scouting department, the sporting director, needs to do their job," he added. "I will do mine, for 18 months, and then we move on."
Amorim's relationship with the club's director of football, Jason Wilcox, had become strained, with United being 'reluctant' to sanction the signings he wanted to fit into his 3-4-3 system, according to The Guardian.
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His refusal to adapt tactically was another concern, as were his comments about academy players.
Many have reacted to the news of Amorim's departure, including former United defender Rio Ferdinand, who has discussed his recent interaction with the Portuguese coach at Carrington.
Ferdinand visited the club's training ground in December ahead of a scheduled interview with Bruno Fernandes when he bumped into Amorim.
Speaking on the Rio Ferdinand Presents YouTube channel, the former defender began by speaking about Amorim's latest appearances in front of the media.
"I saw his last two press conferences. I was sitting there and I was texting in the group before. I was just thinking, 'Something's not right here'," he said.
"One of his best traits, and one of the most likeable things about him, has always been his ability to be quite punchy in his press conferences, upbeat, and he had quite a jovial way about himself in those press conferences, right? The last two that he'd done looked depressing."
Ferdinand would go on to recall his most recent interaction with Amorim.
"I must say, I didn't say it because I get the ability to go into the training ground and see people and talk and whatnot, but when I saw him, we had a little chat for five, 10 minutes. Like I always do when I see him.
"He's warm, he spends a lot of time with you. He goes into detail. He's an open book. But when I went there the last time, I noticed immediately that there was a coldness about him. There was a real difference to what I'd seen before.
"Now I look back with hindsight, I'm thinking things were starting to cook before Christmas. This isn't just an overnight thing. I don't think in terms of his dialogue with the hierarchy and the way that he's been feeling about things."
Ferdinand added: "I felt this coldness that we've seen in the last two press conferences. I saw it in him. Now, the training ground felt good, the vibe around the players, but he just felt a little bit distant. He was a very different human being."
