Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has said that he could be sacked by the 20-time English champions if he is unable to oversee a change of fortunes in the second half of the 2024-25 campaign.
The Red Devils suffered their third straight defeat on Thursday, going down 2-0 to Wolverhampton Wanderers at Molineux, and the team are now down in 14th spot in the Premier League table.
Man United are only eight points above the relegation zone, while Amorim has suffered five defeats in his 10 matches since taking charge of the Red Devils last month.
The Portuguese, speaking ahead of Monday's Premier League clash with Newcastle United, has insisted that his position at Man United is far from comfortable, and he has claimed that he could be sacked if results do not improve.
© Imago
Amorim: "I know the business that I am in"
"The manager of Manchester United can never, no matter what, be comfortable. I know the business that I am in. I know that if we do not win – regardless if they paid the buyout or not – I know that every manager is in danger and I like that, because that is our job," Amorim told reporters.
"So I understand the question. You can say that I have been here a month and I have had four training [sessions], but we are not winning. So I have that; that is a reality, and I am quite comfortable with that."
When asked about his desire to stay with Sporting Lisbon until the end of the season and then arrive at Man United next summer, Amorim said: "There is no point to talk or think about that. I am here and I have to focus on the job, it is part of football to have these difficult moments and I already knew this was going to be tough.
"Of course you expect to win more games to have players with more confidence to sell the idea and to work and to improve a lot of things. In this moment it's really hard. Like I said, we have to survive to have time, and then improve the team."
According to BBC Sport, there remains 'total support' for the new manager inside Old Trafford, but the supporters continue to grow restless due to the team's ongoing struggles when it comes to performances and results.
© Imago
Man United will look to bounce back against Newcastle
Man United will be bidding to bounce back from the defeat at Wolves when they host Newcastle on Monday, but they will enter that match without the services of Bruno Fernandes, who was sent off in the clash at Molineux.
A new captain will therefore take to the field at Old Trafford, and Amorim hinted that former skipper Harry Maguire could be handed the role for the visit of the Magpies at the start of next week.
"You will have to wait until the game and see the captain... he (Maguire) works really well, he is focused on the job and not what people say. He has no excuses, even if he had some tough moments. I think in that department he is an example. He is there to play, to help the team and he's trying to do that," said Amorim.
"We have to fight against everything, because our supporters are always there. But they are tired of this moment. We have to expect that any play from Newcastle near our box is going to make the stadium nervous and our players have to cope with that. It is a very strong team, very fast, with a lot of pace and a lot of time with the same coach. We want to be competitive and try to win the game. That is all."
Man United will end 2024 at Old Trafford before opening 2025 with back-to-back away matches against Liverpool and Arsenal in the Premier League and FA Cup respectively.
Matt Law
