There is another inquest ongoing at Old Trafford after Manchester United lost 3-0 to Man City in the Manchester derby.
Ruben Amorim is under pressure at United.(Image: 2025 CameraSport)
Ruben Amorim needed to start the new season well, but it has not gone as planned for Manchester United.
United responded to their shock defeat to Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup by securing a win against Burnley before the international break, but a hammering against Manchester City soon followed next.
Phil Foden opened the scoring in the 18th minute of the Manchester derby at the Etihad last weekend and Erling Haaland scored twice in the second half to seal a comfortable 3-0 victory.
The second inquest of the season has started at Old Trafford. The pressure on Amorim increased after Grimsby and the derby defeat has cranked up the noise around his future.
United have made their worst start to a season since 1992/93, when they also had four points from their four matches under Sir Alex Ferguson, and Amorim has the unwanted record of having the worst win percentage of any permanent United manager since the Second World War.
So, what's next for Amorim? We've had a look at how he should respond to the City defeat.
Fernandes dilemma
Bruno Fernandes is United's best player and Amorim is not getting the best out of him. Fernandes has made a poor start to the campaign and failed to track Phil Foden's run for the opening goal last weekend.
Last month, Fernandes made the same mistake against Fulham at Craven Cottage when he didn't track Emile Smith Rowe, which shows he is struggling with the role's defensive aspects.
The evidence from the opening few weeks of the season suggests Fernandes should be relocated further up the pitch.
That means Fernandes would have to rotate with Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo in the No.10 roles and minutes would have to be shared, but playing him in the pivot isn't working.
Bruno Fernandes
It's time to play Mainoo
Amorim raised eyebrows when he said Mainoo was competing with Fernandes to start in midfield.
In the final days of the summer transfer window, Mainoo requested to leave on loan for the sake of regular starts, but Amorim insisted that the youngster would stay and fight for his place.
Fans have questioned why such a talented young player felt a change of scenery was necessary. Amorim has argued Mainoo is not the finished article, but the midfield is an issue and Mainoo could be a solution.
It's time to play Mainoo and give him a consistent run of games in the midfield pivot. He started for England against Spain in the Euro 2024 final and has too much talent to be limited to substitute appearances.
Mainoo thrived playing alongside Casemiro in his breakout season and that would be a logical partnership for the three games against Chelsea, Brentford and Sunderland before the international break.
Mainoo came on in the second half.(Image: Pro Sports Images)
Drop two players
Altay Bayindir and Luke Shaw should lose their starting roles on the back of the derby defeat. Bayindir was not to blame for the loss, by any means, but he was shaky from the first whistle and should have done better for Erling Haaland's first goal, as he went to the ground too easily.
Bryan Mbeumo was spotted screaming at Bayindir after City's third goal, trying to encourage his goalkeeper to keep his head up, and the Turkey international's confidence looks shattered.
Senne Lammens is an unknown quantity, despite having a strong reputation in Belgium, but the bar is low to impress. Lammens needs to start against Chelsea, and another defensive change is required.
Shaw had his worst game for United since his return from injury. The 30-year-old has started each Premier League game on the left of the back-three, but Harry Maguire should now replace him in the team.
Decide on a settled team
Amorim hasn't helped himself by picking players in the wrong positions, while his tendency to tweak the starting team each week has made it difficult for United to build momentum.
Having a settled team might improve their chances of success, so Amorim should stick with the same starting XI for each game up until the October international break.
This XI makes sense: Lammens, Yoro, De Ligt, Maguire, Amad, Dalot, Casemiro, Mainoo, Mbeumo, Sesko, Fernandes.
That line-up is dependent on Diogo Dalot returning from injury against Chelsea.
Abdukodir Khusanov
Amorim should settle on a starting team to help build momentum.
Chelsea feels huge
It's ridiculous that United have entered must-win territory just four league games into the season, but if Chelsea win at Old Trafford, the talk around Amorim's future will intensify.
United should target at least six points from Chelsea, Brentford and Sunderland. The October international break will be an opportunity to assess Amorim and positive results are required to safeguard his future.
The Reds found a way to win against Burnley before the September international break. That was key after Grimsby and it's just as important to bounce back against Chelsea.