Ruben Amorim must win eight of his first 10 matches to avoid an early sack as Manchester United head coach, according to the club's former assistant Rene Meulensteen. The Dutchman does not expect Amorim to remain at the helm for much longer if he cannot oversee improvement quickly.
United endured an abysmal 2024/25 season, finishing 15th in the Premier League after scoring just 44 goals and losing 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final. The Red Devils have reacted by backing Amorim with a big-money attacking overhaul, already signing Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo for a combined £133.5million.
RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko is set to join the Premier League-proven duo once United strike an agreement with the Bundesliga club after offering a £74m package.
However, despite Amorim's reinforcements, Meulensteen is still not convinced that the Portuguese head coach is the right man for the job.
He said: "He has to win eight out of 10, or 90 per cent of the games at the start of the season, that's how long Ten Hag was given [last season," Meulensteen told Tipman Tips.
"If he keeps doing what he's doing, and sticks to the same system with the same players, then he won't be there too long; there's been no improvement.
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"I've not been very convinced by the way he has addressed the media.
"People applaud him for his honesty, but at some point, you have to realise the position at the club that you manage, and the position the club is in. What people want to hear is a vision, a strategy, a way forward.
"People want to know how you can get out of this mess rather than reinforcing how bad it is, but I don't hear that.
"He questions too many things, and he questions himself, and that is never a good thing. At the end of the day, you're in the results business."
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Amorim has plenty to prove after losing the same number of matches as he has won (17) across his first 42 matches in charge.
He has yet to convince that his 3-4-3 can succeed at Old Trafford, and desperately requires fresh athleticism in his midfield to stand a chance.
Meulensteen does not believe that Amorim "understands the environment" when it comes to meeting the demands that come with being United's boss.
Sir Alex Ferguson's old right-hand man added that more questions will arise if the Red Devils don't improve after a full pre-season.