Ruben Amorim remains under pressure despite Sir Jim Ratcliffe publicly backing him, and if he wants to stay in charge at Manchester United, he needs to drop Luke Shaw starting against Liverpool on Sunday.
Ratcliffe suggested he'd be prepared to give Amorim three years despite talk intensifying over the Portuguese coach possibly being sacked. He has been in charge of United since November last year, and has the lowest win percentage of any Red Devils manager since World War II.
A 2-0 win against Sunderland meant Amorim and his side at least headed into the international break on a positive. But it was just their third win in seven league games and came after a nightmare 3-1 loss to Brentford which should have spelled the end for Shaw.
Liverpool vs Man Utd: Amorim Must Show Shaw The Door
manchester united luke shaw
Shaw came in for heavy criticism after the Brentford defeat, and it was a surprise to see him in the starting lineup against Sunderland. The English left-back has failed to impress this season and his time should have been up in the summer.
The 30-year-old admitted after last season's Europa League final defeat to Tottenham Hotspur that players needed to consider whether they were worthy enough to be playing for the club. He should have included himself on the basis of his past year, with recurring injuries and frustrating displays becoming constant.
United fans were upset with the Englishman after he risked his fitness at the European Championships last year. He played a bit-part role but seemed to prioritise his nation over his club in that situation and soon picked up a lengthy injury at the start of the season.
Shaw, who purportedly earns £200,000 per week, remains one of Amorim's favourites and that could prove costly if he starts against Liverpool at Anfield. Mohamed Salah hasn't been at his best, but the Egyptian forward relishes meetings with the Red Devils, scoring 16 goals in 17 games.
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Ayden Heaven was a standout performer during the second half of last season but has surprisingly made just two cameo appearances this term. The 19-year-old has shown he's capable of performing well in high-pressure situations, including last season when he made his Premier League debut against former club Arsenal.
A win over Liverpool would be the biggest of Amorim's reign thus far and there is an opportunity to pull off a stunning win on Merseyside. Arne Slot's defending champions have been poor and have lost their last three games on the bounce.