Before the game against Sunderland last week, Manchester United were at a crossroads. Well, this was what the media were reporting.
However, those rumours of the sacking of Ruben Amorim are now dead. And, the main reason for that is Manchester United successfully dispatched the Black Cats at Old Trafford.
It was a commanding performance that might turn some of the sceptics hopeful about United’s comeback under the regime of their Portuguese boss.
Sunderland were not an easy opponent because they were playing good football from the beginning of the season. That was why many thought a loss would result in the sacking of Amorim.
Now, the owner of the club, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has opened up on the entire situation on The Business Podcast from The Times and The Sunday Times. The British billionaire said (via SkySports):
“Ruben needs to demonstrate he is a great coach over three years.”
Sir Jim Ratcliffe was asked to clarify whether Amorim would get 3 years at the helm or not. He said:
“Yes. That is where I would be. Three years. Because football is not overnight.
“It’s three years. You also look at [Mikel] Arteta at Arsenal. He had a miserable time over the first couple of years.
“We have to be patient. We have a long-term plan. It isn’t a light switch.
“You can’t run a club like Manchester United on knee-jerk reactions to some journalist who goes off on one every week.”
Sir Jim seemed confident that the Glazers would back him in this decision of sticking with the Portuguese boss. He also said that he was happy to take charge at United:
“We’re local and they’re the other side of the pond.
“That’s a long way away to try and manage a football club as big and complex as Manchester United. We’re here with feet on the ground.
“They [the Glazers] get a bad rap… but they are really nice people and they are really passionate about the club.”
When asked about the cost-cutting at Manchester United, Sir Jim Ratcliffe said:
“The costs were just too high. There are some fantastic people at Manchester United, but there was also a level of mediocrity, and it had become bloated.”
Now, it will be interesting to see how long the Manchester United board can keep their faith in Ruben Amorim. So far, it looks like the Portuguese boss will have their backing.
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