Why time is running out for Ruben Amorim to show he is the man to turn Man Utd around

During Manchester United's summer tour of the US, Ruben Amorim admitted he had used up any credit he had in the bank last season.

Despite leading United to 15th place, their worst Premier League finish, and losing the Europa League final to miss out on Europe, Amorim retained the backing of the United hierarchy and the club's fans.

Against that backdrop, Amorim knew he could not afford a poor start to this season. But four points from four games and a chastening 3-0 defeat at Manchester City in Sunday's derby has added credence to the growing belief that Amorim's time at United may soon be up.

Amorim, who refuses to change his controversial 3-4-3 system, despite the failure of his players to adapt to it, has won just eight of his 31 Premier League games since taking over from Erik ten Hag 10 months ago.

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On that evidence alone, his appointment has been an unmitigated disaster, with the continued backing from those in charge at United now looking like it is founded in hope, rather than any firm expectation that the Portuguese head coach will, in time, turn the situation around.

We have been here before, of course, with United's current football leadership team publicly backing a manager, only to renege on that stance and sack him weeks later. A year ago, chief executive Omar Berrada gave Ten Hag his unequivocal backing in the Old Trafford boardroom, hours before United hosted arch rivals Liverpool in the league.

United were humiliated 3-0 by Arne Slot's side that day and Ten Hag was gone less than eight weeks later, proving Berrada's verbal backing was worthless while the team continued to regress, just as they are doing under Amorim.

The Portuguese head coach insists United are getting better, but there was no evidence of that in their meek capitulation at City on Sunday. Up next for Amorim and his players are world champions Chelsea, who will travel to the Theatre of Dreams on Saturday smelling blood.

How much longer the United hierarchy are willing to stick with Amorim, when the team's performances and results show no sign of progress, only they know. Berrada's problem is that he drove the appointment of Amorim to such an extent that to have to sack him would represent a humiliating personal failing and raise legitimate questions about his judgment going forward.

But with every lame, error-strewn performance and lamentable result, the prospect of Amorim emerging from this current crisis, to lead United back to the top, seems increasingly fanciful, with match-going fans who once backed him irrevocably now starting to have serious doubts.

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After Chelsea, United travel to Brentford and then host Sunderland, before the next international break, their first game back after that a trip to Liverpool, to face the champions, who have taken maximum points this season and already look on course to win a 21 st title to usurp their fiercest rivals as England's most successful club.

Whether Amorim is in the Anfield dugout on October 19 depends on how United fare in their next three games before the international break, traditionally a time for struggling clubs to take stock and change their manager if they feel a new voice is needed in the dressing-room and on the training pitch.

Amorim, who twice offered to quit last season, knows he is in trouble and that only an immediate upturn in performances and results will spare him from the same fate suffered by his United predecessors, none of whom could survive managing in the shadow of Sir Alex Ferguson in what continues to be the impossible job.

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