Manchester United are, once again, making headlines for all the wrong reasons, and it’s become commonplace for the news around the club to reek of instability and negativity rather than consistent praise over a decade ago.
Ruben Amorim is the latest manager to disappoint the Old Trafford faithful, and the club’s 3-0 shellacking at the hands of Manchester City this past weekend is just the latest low point in a never-ending sea of them.
Despite investing heavily in the squad by signing Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, and Benjamin Sesko this past summer transfer window, Manchester United appear no better off.
Although the club isn’t seriously considering sacking Amorim just yet, that could change soon, and the Red Devils reportedly have a timeline and an expectation for Amorim to reach.
According to a report from Ben Jacobs of Give Me Sport, Manchester United owner Jim Ratcliffe feels the club’s squad is good enough to compete and qualify for the Champions League in the 2025/26 season.
If Amorim doesn’t get the squad in a position to qualify for European football as the season continues, Jacobs reports that Ratcliffe and the club will begin to have more serious discussions about Amorim’s job status.
Look, there are quite a few Man United fans who are going to disagree with Ratcliffe’s reported assertion that the club is good enough for the Champions League, as the top five of the Premier League is very competitive with clubs like Tottenham and Newcastle likely fighting for the fifth spot.
But Manchester United should always be at that level and have honestly invested more into their squad than either of those clubs with signings like Sesko, Mbeumo, Cunha, Manuel Ugarte, Matthijs de Ligt, Senne Lammens, Leny Yoro, and Noussair Mazraoui in just the last couple of transfer windows.
That’s enough for Ratcliffe to feel that he should receive some sort of a return on his investment. That’s not been the case with Amorim thus far, and while Amorim is getting time, he can’t have infinite time either.
Joe Soriano is the editor of The Trivela Effect and a FanSided Hall of Famer who has covered world football since 2011. He’s led top digital communities like The Real Champs (Real Madrid) and has contributed to sites covering Tottenham, Liverpool, Juventus, and Schalke. Joe’s work has appeared in ESPN, Bleacher Report, and Sports Illustrated. He also helped manage NFL Spin Zone and Daily DDT, covering the NFL and pro wrestling, respectively.