Ruben Amorim has come under increasing pressure at Manchester United in recent weeks, and former coach Rene Meulensteen believes the Portuguese tactician could be sacked before Christmas
Ruben Amorim walks on
Ruben Amorim has struggled at Manchester United with just eight wins from 31 Premier League fixtures
Ruben Amorim will face the axe by Christmas unless he changes his tactics at Manchester United, according to Sir Alex Ferguson's trusted lieutenant Rene Meulensteen. The Portuguese manager Amorim has struggled to spark a notable turnaround at Old Trafford this season.
That's despite securing significant investment from the board during the summer window and enjoying a complete pre-season programme to settle his squad. The 40-year-old endured a 1-0 defeat against Arsenal on the opening weekend, before managing a stalemate with Fulham and claiming victory over newly-promoted Burnley.
However, Sunday's Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium exposed holes in Amorim's game, with Manchester City cruising to a 3-0 win on home turf while United struggled to find their rhythm. With fixtures against Chelsea, Liverpool and Brighton looming in their next five matches, Meulensteen believes the signs are deeply concerning.
The former United first-team coach, who won three Premier League titles with Ferguson as well as the Champions League, told football betting site BetVictor: "Could Ruben Amorim be gone before Christmas?
"Absolutely, he could well be. And I think if he keeps being as stubborn as he is and the results don't improve, he doesn't keep winning, then there's definitely no other way than the club has to make a decision.
"I mean, how long are you going to keep traveling in the wrong direction? Every game and every week it's like, 'Well, let's hope and see what we get this week.' Maybe you get the odd result like you did against Burnley, with a last-minute penalty to get that one over the line. Otherwise, they would have not won a game.
"They've got some tough, tough fixtures coming up, but like I said, there is definitely a possibility he goes in the next few months. If you lose to City, 3-0, but all the pundits can understand, it wasn't a 3-0 game, United really played well, they were unlucky, then maybe it would be different.
"But that wasn't the case. If the performances are not good and the results are not there, then you're going to get this question from week to week. It's just a continuation of the poor start to the season, which I was afraid of.
Rene Meulensteen looks on
Rene Meulensteen has delivered a grim verdict on Ruben Amorim(Image: 2019 AMA Sports Photo Agency)
"I said he actually needs to win seven to eight of his first 10 games to reinforce that he has been able to do some work and that he believes in what he wants to do. But all this gets overshadowed by performances and results like this.
"You continuously get the same questions and reactions in the media about the system, and he says he won't change. He says if anything is going to change, then they have to change him. If he keeps that approach, then I think there's only one way he's heading: to the exit.
"I can't see anything different. So where does that leave United again? Where they left off last year, and that's where you don't want to be."
Ruben Amorim looks dejected
Ruben Amorim has received a stark warning about his time left at Manchester United
The head coach was given the go-ahead to splash the cash this summer, spending over £200million on players like Matheus Cunha, Benjamin Sesko and Bryan Mbeumo, while also bolstering his goalkeeping options with the signing of Senne Lammens following poor performances from Altay Bayindir and Andre Onana.
With a challenging match against Chelsea at Old Trafford looming this Saturday, supporters are keen to see a better performance from United. However, Enzo Maresca has built a formidable squad this summer, as shown by their four-match unbeaten run in the league, and could prove too hot to handle.
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