Grimsby Town v Manchester United - Carabao Cup Second Round
It would be seriously expensive for the Red Devils to dismiss their manager (Picture: Getty Images)
Ruben Amorim is under pressure as Manchester United manager, but the club will be loathed to sack him any time soon due to the huge compensation package he will be owed.
Amorim joined the Red Devils from Sporting on November 1 last year and it has proved to be an extremely difficult job for the Portuguese coach so far.
United finished 15th in the Premier League last season and were beaten by Tottenham in the Europa League final, meaning they are without European football this campaign.
A summer of work on the training pitch and business in the transfer market followed, with the likes of Matheus Cunha, Benjamin Sesko and Bryan Mbeumo being brought in and there was hope again at Old Trafford.
However, the new season has started poorly, with just four points from Manchester United’s first four Premier League games and elimination from the Carabao Cup at the hands of League Two Grimsby.
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Amorim’s Premier League record now stands at a woeful eight wins and 16 defeats from 31 games after a 3-0 loss to Manchester City on Sunday.
In all competitions he has won 17 of his 47 games in charge, leaving him with the worst win percentage (36.2 per cent) of any United boss since World War II.
Manchester City v Manchester United - Premier League
Amorim is struggling to make much impact as United boss (Picture: Getty Images)
Despite this woeful return, there is no suggestion that Amorim is about to be sacked, although how much longer he has is not clear.
The Red Devils host Chelsea, then go to Brentford before welcoming Sunderland to Old Trafford before the next international break.
Amorim would be under incredible pressure if he has not improved results by the end of that hat-trick of fixtures.
Jim Ratcliffe, co-owner of Manchester United FC, looks on
Jim Ratcliffe will not want to spend £12m on getting rid of Amorim (Picture: Getty Images)
It will cost the Manchester United hierarchy a huge amount of money if they were to swing the axe on Amorim in October, though, as it is before he has been in charge for a full year.
The Daily Mail report that dismissing Amorim within 12 months in charge would mean the club has to pay the Portuguese £12m in compensation.
Amorim already cost Manchester United £9.2m when they snapped him up from Sporting and are paying him £6.5m per season in wages.
Sacking him before November 1 would also see his coaching staff leave and receive pay-outs as well.
Ruben Amorim's Premier League wins
2025/26
Aug 30: Man Utd 3-2 Burnley
2024/25
May 25: Man Utd 2-0 Aston Villa
Mar 16: Leicester 0-3 Man Utd
Feb 26: Man Utd 3-2 Ipswich
Jan 26: Fulham 0-1 Man Utd
Jan 16: Man Utd 3-1 Southampton
Dec 15: Man City 1-2 Man Utd
Dec 01: Man Utd 4-0 Everton
It would not even be the most expensive dismissal of a Manchester United manager in recent years, with the club paying Jose Mourinho £19.6m when they sacked him in 2018.
Club legend Gary Neville is not certain Amorim will make it to his anniversary in charge, feeling that in just two games he could be reaching an untenable position.
‘Man United are 14th, we’re only four games in,’ Neville told Sky Sports. ‘We can’t be getting into October where Man United are 14th or 15th in the league otherwise the manager will be in trouble. They have to start winning quickly.
FBL-ENG-PR-MAN CITY-MAN UTD
Manchester City had far too much for their local rivals on Sunday (Picture: Getty Images)
‘Next week if they lose, they would go to 15th and 16th. It’s five games in and before you know it you’re in October and they’re in the bottom half of the table. And that’s where they can’t be, having spent £200m and giving him a pre-season.
‘There’s got to be a turnaround pretty quickly, and the manager’s idea has got to land very quickly with the players.
‘I’m worried about the manager, I’m worried about what’s going to happen in this next few weeks. I don’t think it’s a time for panic, but I’ve seen this before, we’ve seen this film.’
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