Ineos have already shown they are open to the idea of managerial change early in the season and the next few weeks are huge for Ruben Amorim.
Ruben Amorim is under pressure at United.(Image: 2025 CameraSport)
There are three certainties in life: death, taxes and people questioning the future of the Manchester United manager.
Sources reiterated Ruben Amorim retains the backing of the board following a bruising defeat to Manchester City, but it's clear Amorim desperately needs results.
"We've seen this before, we've seen this film," said Gary Neville while recording his post-match podcast from the Etihad gantry. Roy Keane ranted in the Sky Sports studio. "Bit mad how many times we've watched minor variations on this 20 minutes of broadcasting since 2013," someone tweeted.
Sack the manager, hire a new coach and usher in an exciting new era by spending in the transfer market. That is the nature of football, but United have become specialists in failure when the club has been built on success.
Amorim needed a fast start after overseeing the worst season at Old Trafford for 51 years, but United have made their worst start to a Premier League campaign for 33 years.
The situation is depressingly familiar, and you only have to look back to last season to see a United manager who needed to start the campaign well, failed to do so, and was axed.
It was the wrong decision to keep Erik ten Hag after the FA Cup final triumph. Ten Hag managed to survive the September and October international breaks, United scraped a win against Brentford, drew against Fenerbahce and the Dutchman was finally shown the door after a defeat to West Ham on October 27.
Ten Hag was sacked the day after the loss to the Hammers. The season was still salvageable at that stage, but United did not enjoy a new manager bounce when Amorim was appointed in November.
The October international break is synonymous with managerial sackings. History tells you the next few weeks are crucial for Amorim.
United could beat Chelsea this weekend and enjoy further wins against Brentford and Sunderland before the October break, but Amorim is yet to win successive league games during his tenure.
United's head coach has the unwanted record of having the lowest win percentage of any permanent United manager since the Second World War.
It's not unthinkable that Amorim could turn the ship around, but the number of fans who doubt he will be a success is increasing, despite the vocal support for the 40-year-old at Old Trafford.
There was a show of support from Amorim from the Stretford End before the Burnley win. Banners were unfurled, flags were flown, and one had the message: "The good days are coming."
A picture of Amorim jumping on the touchline (his reaction to Harry Maguire's winner in the special victory against Lyon at Old Trafford last season) accompanied the message. And it didn't take long for the Stretford End to sing "He'll turn the Reds around".
The fanbase is split on, just as it was with Ten Hag, although the situation with Amorim is not as grave as it was in the final weeks of Ten Hag's reign.
Having said that, Ineos' decision to sack Ten Hag just nine game into the 2024/25 Premier League campaign shows they are open to the idea of an early change, and United play Chelsea, Brentford, Sunderland, Liverpool and Brighton before the anniversary of Ten Hag's sacking.
The Liverpool fixture at Anfield immediately after the international break already looks ominous. Arne Slot's side are favourites to win the Premier League title and could smell blood when United visit next month.
Four games into the Premier League season, it feels ridiculous that the conversation around Amorim's future has started, but results dictate the narrative and United only have four points.
Just last month, someone who has worked at United for six years said the mood in the camp was "genuinely different" this summer. Pre-season was full of positivity, Amorim boosted morale by looking to cut ties with anyone who didn't have a future at the club and there was excitement about what could be achieved.
Everyone is hoping Amorim will overcome the slow start to the new campaign and become a success at Old Trafford. But he is facing an almighty battle to silence the doubters.