OF CONSPIRACY THEORIES AND CONSPIRACISTS

I first came across the phrase “Conspiracy Theory” at the popular Yikpata NYCS camp in Kwara State. Every evening we play Scrabble at the camp’s mammy market; one of the players once asked if I really hailed from Northern Nigeria. I told him I was born and bred in Gombe (which was then a local government area under Bauchi State). He was amazed, having thought no person from the north could play Scrabble or even speak good English. After an extensive discussion, Yinka, I can still remember his name after 31 years, admitted that what he was told about the north and its people was a mere conspiracy theory. 

 

Conspiracy theories are explanations for situations that assert the existence of a conspiracy. The term generally has a negative connotation and can often be based on apparent prejudice or inclination. 

 

There have been numerous conspiracy theories. The ones that come to mind include the assertion that the CIA colluded with FIFA to oust England from the 1970 World Cup. Another one came in 1997 following the death of Princess Diana; the conspiracists alleged her death wasn’t caused by the car crash. It was claimed the English monarchy couldn’t stand the thought of Diana, the divorced wife of the then Prince Charles, marrying Dodi al-Fayed, an Egyptian. 

 

In the English Premier League last season, conspiracists claimed that Arsenal were favoured to win the trophy; their argument: the Gunners hadn’t conceded a single penalty. That was just preposterous. Arsenal won the league because they were determined, and other contenders messed up. 

 

I detest conspiracy theories, especially those constructed by armchair football pundits. Conspiracy theories dominate recent World Cup finals, largely because virtually everyone has access to live matches due to a technological boost. As it happened this year, there were allegations that Lionel Messi and the Argentinian team were favoured. I wonder if Messi scored his goals via contentious circumstances, or whether the officiating officials were bribed, as they do in the Nigerian League, into favouring one team. 

 

My advice to the conspiracists: be positive and look at things with an objective mind. Do not allege a gang-up against an African team because you are African. I call that blind patriotism. 

 

In the words of Brian Stelter, “you can convince yourself of just about anything when you want to believe a conspiracy theory”

AMORIM: FLUNKED EXPECTATIONS

When Manchester United fired Erik ten Hag, the decision sparked mixed opinions but followed a common trend at Old Trafford. Ten Hag, despite his shortcomings, had brought the club its first competitive trophy in nearly six years by winning the EFL Cup. He also reached the FA Cup final the following season. However, a poor league run, with only three wins in the first nine matches and a subsequent fall to 14th place, reignited fan calls for what many considered a “managerial upgrade.” That supposed upgrade brought Rúben Amorim.  

 

Young, charismatic, and tactically savvy, the Portuguese coach arrived with a strong reputation from Sporting Lisbon. In his first season in Lisbon, Amorim led Sporting to a historic domestic double, winning both the Taca da Liga and the Primeira Liga, ending a painful 19-year league title drought. To many Manchester United fans, he seemed like a modern coach with intensity, clarity, and, some optimistically claimed, “United DNA.” Sadly, that optimism proved misplaced.  

 

From the start, Amorim’s tenure was marked by inflexibility. His preferred 3-4-3 formation generated excitement before his appointment, but that quickly turned to confusion. United’s players struggled to understand the system, performances dropped, and results suffered. Instead of adjusting, Amorim became increasingly stubborn, ignoring calls for tactical changes. At the height of the backlash, he famously joked, sarcastically, that even the Pope could not make him change his formation. That affront symbolized his downfall.  

 

Only when injuries hit the squad hard and pressure mounted did Amorim reluctantly switch to a back four. By that time, however, the damage was done. His frustration was obvious, his authority diminished, and it became clear that the end was near. 

 

Disappointing draws against Wolves and Leeds were the final nails in the coffin, making Amorim’s position unsustainable. After his firing on 5 January 2026, a BBC report revealed significant internal dissatisfaction at Old Trafford:  

“It is no surprise, therefore, that the formation against Wolves and the subsequent result, a 1–1 draw against a team that had previously collected only two points all season, and led to the team being booed off, was viewed very negatively internally at Old Trafford. It marked another significant step back in Amorim’s relationship with his bosses, and his ongoing criticism only intensified that situation. 

“Already unhappy with Amorim's harsh treatment of academy players-he never attended a single age-group game- and his criticism of senior members of the United squad, it left the 40-year-old in a precarious position going into the Leeds game.”  

 

The statistics tell a grim story as well. Amorim managed 63 matches as Manchester United boss but won only half of them. His record was 24 wins, 18 draws, and 21 losses, giving him a lowly 38.1% win rate. Most concerning, United had its worst Premier League season under him, finishing 15th with the club’s lowest points total in a top-flight campaign since 1973–74, the season that ended in relegation. Bad, by any measure.  

 

There is no denying the conclusion: Rúben Amorim failed at Manchester United. His ideas, successful in Portugal, were ill-fitted for the Premier League’s intensity and a United squad that needed practicality over rigidity.  

 

Once again, the club finds itself at square one in the post-Ferguson era. So far, David Moyes, José Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, Ralf Rangnick, Erik ten Hag, and now Rúben Amorim have all come with promise and left in disappointment. The search for a truly capable, long-term successor to Sir Alex Ferguson continues-painfully, expensively, and without a clear end in sight.