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Manchester United’s season has begun with familiar turbulence as Ruben Amorim continues to navigate a squad still struggling for consistency.
After seven Premier League games, the Red Devils sit mid-table, showing flashes of promise but still failing to convince supporters that stability has returned to Old Trafford.
Recent defeats, including a shock League Cup exit to Grimsby Town, have only heightened scrutiny of the Portuguese manager.
Fans remain restless, especially after last season’s 15th-place finish, the worst in the Premier League era, which saw United amass just 42 points and struggle to score consistently.
Despite a hefty summer spending spree, the team’s performances have yet to justify optimism, leaving boardroom decisions under the microscope.
Amid this backdrop, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, minority stakeholder and the figure responsible for football operations at Old Trafford through INEOS, has revealed his intentions regarding Amorim’s future.
Ratcliffe admitted to wanting to give the under-pressure head coach at least three years to prove himself, telling The Business podcast, produced by The Times and Sunday Times: “Ruben needs to demonstrate he is a great coach over three years.”
He added moments later that his aim is to provide Amorim time, insisting that “football is not overnight.”
Reaction to Ratcliffe’s remarks has been mixed among the Manchester United faithful.
Many are unconvinced that Amorim, a manager long viewed as divisive, is equipped to handle the pressures of leading a club of United’s stature.
Last season’s dismal 15th-place finish remains fresh in supporters’ minds, compounded by only four teams, the three relegated sides and Everton, scoring fewer goals across the 38-game campaign.
This season has shown glimpses of improvement, yet inconsistency continues to define Amorim’s reign.
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In the event United opt to replace the Portuguese manager, former Red Devils midfielder Roy Keane has already voiced his preference.
Speaking on The Overlap, Keane stated: “I’ve said it for years, I’d like to see Atletico Madrid’s [Diego] Simeone go in there.
“I’d like to see him go in there. I know his mate’s gone to Arsenal, but I think he would just create havoc – but good havoc! I think he’d rock up to that place and say, ‘This is how you do things.’
“No guarantee, but I’d just like to see his personality given his track record.”
Ian Wright suggested Antonio Conte as a potential solution, but Gary Neville, 50, appeared to side with Keane’s assessment of Simeone.
Diego Simeone, who has replaced Gregorio Manzano in December 2011 at Atletico Madrid, is now the second-longest serving manager in Europe’s top five leagues and boasts multiple La Liga titles.
Currently the world’s highest-paid manager on £25.9 million per year, Simeone would come at a considerable cost if United were to attempt luring him away from Spain.
With Ratcliffe committed to a three-year plan for Amorim, the likelihood of an imminent managerial change remains slim, but speculation over a top-tier replacement continues to simmer among the Red Devils’ faithful.