Amorim took over at Old Trafford after leaving Sporting on November 1 last year, but the transition has been anything but smooth for the Portuguese manager. ..Continue Reading
United endured a disastrous campaign last season, finishing 15th in the Premier League and losing to Tottenham in the Europa League final—leaving them without European competition this year.
Over the summer, the club attempted to regroup through training ground work and recruitment, bringing in players like Matheus Cunha, Benjamin Sesko, and Bryan Mbeumo. There was renewed optimism at the club ahead of the new season.
However, the fresh campaign has begun poorly. United have picked up only four points from their opening four league matches and suffered a humiliating Carabao Cup exit at the hands of League Two side Grimsby Town.
Following a 3-0 defeat to Manchester City, Amorim’s Premier League record now stands at just eight wins and 16 losses from 31 games. Across all competitions, he has managed only 17 victories in 47 matches—giving him the lowest win rate (36.2%) of any Manchester United manager since World War II.
Despite these troubling statistics, there are no immediate signs that Amorim’s dismissal is on the cards, although his future remains uncertain.
United are set to face Chelsea at home, then travel to Brentford before hosting Sunderland—three games that could determine Amorim’s fate heading into the next international break.
Unless results improve dramatically during this stretch, the pressure on the manager will only intensify.
Letting go of Amorim before November 1 would be financially painful for United, as it would trigger a £12 million compensation payout, according to the *Daily Mail*.
Amorim initially cost the club £9.2 million in compensation to Sporting and earns £6.5 million annually in wages. Firing him before his one-year mark would also mean paying off his entire coaching team.
Even so, it wouldn’t be the most costly sacking in recent United history—Jose Mourinho’s 2018 dismissal set the club back £19.6 million.
Club icon Gary Neville has expressed doubts about Amorim’s survival in the role, suggesting that just two poor results could push him into an untenable position.
‘Man United are 14th, we’re only four games in,’ Neville told Sky Sports. ‘We can’t be getting into October where Man United are 14th or 15th in the league otherwise the manager will be in trouble. They have to start winning quickly.
‘Next week if they lose, they would go to 15th and 16th. It’s five games in and before you know it you’re in October and they’re in the bottom half of the table. And that’s where they can’t be, having spent £200m and giving him a pre-season.
‘There’s got to be a turnaround pretty quickly, and the manager’s idea has got to land very quickly with the players.
‘I’m worried about the manager, I’m worried about what’s going to happen in this next few weeks. I don’t think it’s a time for panic, but I’ve seen this before, we’ve seen this film.’
