Manchester United fell to a new low on Sunday as they were embarrassed by Manchester City, but Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ruben Amorim are too stubborn to admit defeat
15:24, 15 Sep 2025
Jeremy Cross
Jeremy joined the Daily Star in 2010 as Manchester football correspondent and for more than a decade has served as our Chief Sports Writer. He provides expert coverage on Manchester United and Manchester City, the Premier League as a whole, and the England football team. Jeremy has covered football, rugby and cricket World Cups, as well as Wimbledon, the golf majors and the Olympics.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has a major problem in the dugout(Image: CameraSport via Getty Images)
The competition between Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ruben Amorim is neck and neck.
It's just too close to call. The one to find out who can bury their head in the sand the longest. And it's far more competitive than Manchester United's clash with their neighbours on Sunday.
The definition of being in denial is a person refusing to accept facts or reality, because the truth is too painful, distressing or uncomfortable to confront. Or in Ratcliffe's case - too expensive. But here are some facts for both men to consider. Amorim has been in charge of United 10 months - and has managed eight league wins from 31 games.
United spent almost £250m on new talent this summer, but couldn't beat Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup. United have won once this season, following a previous campaign which saw them finish 15th in the table.
West Ham, Brentford and Bournemouth all ended the same season looking down on United and laughing at them. No-one likes admitting they're wrong. That they made a mistake. Personal pride sees to this. But someone has bucked the trend when it comes to the human wiring system.
Ruben Amorim
Ruben Amorim reached a new low in the defeat to Manchester City on Sunday(Image: Getty Images)
His name is Fernando Carro. He's the chairman of Bayer Leverkusen, who decided to sack Erik ten Hag as manager, after the grand total of two Bundesliga games and 62 days in charge. Carro held his hands up and admitted he'd messed up. And guess what?
In their first league game since Ten Hag's dismissal, Leverkusen won. Despite finishing the game with nine men.
Advocating the sack for someone on these pages feels a little uncomfortable, considering English football club owners need no encouragement.
While Amorim is a thoroughly likeable man who has handled himself with class since arriving at United. He's the sort of bloke you want to see succeed. But he isn't going to, because he's so stubborn that he continues to put himself through the pain that comes with cutting off his own nose to spite his own face.
Bryan Mbeumo of Manchester United looks dejected after the team's defeat during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Manchester United
Manchester United were brushed aside by Manchester City(Image: Getty Images)
He believes in one way of playing, despite the fact he doesn't have a group of players, let alone the talent, willing to buy into his beliefs. The end result is a lot of bad ones. Not to mention a pained look on the face of Ratcliffe whenever he decides to attend games, like he did last weekend.
Ratcliffe has been a successful man. But football is like no other when it comes to business, and is now teaching the billionaire some harsh lessons. The sport is making a mug out of him.
For decades, Liverpool have set the standards United have measured themselves against. And Liverpool have had two world class managers in the same time it has taken United to hire and fire countless of their own.
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United have made their worst start to a league season since 1992. They have scored one goal from open play in more than six hours. Yet Amorim will plough on regardless, convinced he can be successful without a Plan B, C or Z, if A won't work.
While Ratcliffe turns a blind eye to the bleeding obvious, and a deaf ear to the calls for him to accept he appointed the wrong manager in a hurry.
But the greatest irony of all is that the man who has made hundreds of employees redundant since seizing control, can't bring himself to get rid of the one person he really has to.