The pressure is mounting on Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim who prepares to face what may be a pivotal Premier League match with Sunderland on Saturday at Old Trafford. The strain is after a 3-1 loss to Brentford, United’s 17th league defeat in only 33 games since the Portuguese coach assumed the position in November.
The recent defeat has seen United languishing in position 14, leaving fans and pundits concerned. Although the club has had a poor run, the club officials insist that Amorim continues to have their complete support. Sources deny imminent intent to look at replacements, and deny rumours of co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe linking to England manager Gareth Southgate.
United was also said to have thought about replacing Erik ten Hag with Southgate and then offered the job to Amorim, but the board insists on giving the 40-year-old a chance to turn the situation around. The Sunderland match is a crucial test of patience, and fans are hoping that the club will react to a dismal opening of the season.
Carrington preparations have been going on unabated. On Sunday, one of the family open days at the training ground, Amorim was present, an officially planned event for the newly upgraded facilities. On Monday, players were given a rest day before they resumed training for the Sunderland match.
The list of fixtures does not come as much of a relief. After the Sunderland match and an international break, United will play Liverpool at Anfield on 19 October and Brighton on 25 October, two games that may also define the future of Amorim.
The home match on Saturday is a crucial opportunity to stop the downward trend and regain confidence. Anything short of a convincing victory will likely give Amorim some breathing space but anything less might further scrutinize him as United attempted to rescue their season to return to the upper half of the Premier League.
