Sir Jim Ratcliffe has reportedly changed his stance on Ruben Amorim following a pivotal moment at Manchester United last weekend.
Manchester United have had a terrible start to the season, winning just two of their seven games so far and they have already been knocked out of the Carabao Cup.
After finishing 15th and losing the Europa League final last term, Ruben Amorim needed a strong response at the beginning of this campaign but that has not come.
The United boss was heavily backed in the summer transfer window with a new frontline worth over £180 million but there still seems to be issues with putting away chances.
The Reds face Sunderland at home on Saturday afternoon and the latest reports suggest this game could be pivotal for Amorim’s future at the club.
Why Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s stance on Amorim has changed
Reports throughout the week had all claimed that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and those in charge at United were going to be patient with Amorim and that they are fully behind him going forward.
However, on Friday evening it was claimed by The Telegraph and MailSport that defeat against Sunderland could lead to Amorim losing his job.
It is being described as a ‘must-win game’ for the Portuguese coach, who is yet to register back-to-back victories in his reign at Old Trafford so far.
According to the reports, the mood among the club hierarchy changed following the 3-1 defeat to Brentford last weekend, with the manner of the defeat seeming to prove pivotal in a change of stance from Ratcliffe.
Players within the squad are uncertain whether Amorim can turn things around, the outlets claim, and the £12 million compensation fee which would be needed to pay Amorim out of his contract is not expected to be a boundary if the club decide they want to part ways.
Amorim entering period of inevitability
This period has come under every United manager since Sir Alex Ferguson retired. The feeling of inevitability that the decision will come sooner or later.
Ole Gunnar Solskjær and Erik ten Hag – the last two permanent United managers before Amorim – were both sacked later than they should’ve been. Reports of trust and faith were soon met with a club announcement.
While some reports do still claim that Amorim has full support from the board, results will dictate everything and if defeat against Sunderland isn’t enough to put significant pressure on his future, what result would?
In an ideal world, Amorim’s reign turns around following a smashing victory over the Black Cats and he manages to take United back to the top.
But there simply isn’t anything from the last 11 months which suggests that could be a possibility, and once again, it feels like a United manager is in a period of inevitability that his job will be gone soon.
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