Ruben Amorim’s job security question seems to come up or be cast aside based on the previous result, but former Wolves manager Gary O’Neil has now made an ominous prediction about something happening.
Gary O’Neil was once linked to Man Utd before Ruben Amorim was appointed, but his stock has since fallen due to his sacking at Wolves.
He would know better than anybody what pressure a manager faces when the results aren’t going their way, and Ruben Amorim’s results certainly aren’t.
With a home game against Sunderland coming up, O’Neil has made an ominous prediction about the straw that could break the camel’s back.
Gary O’Neil makes ominous Ruben Amorim prediction
Once United beat Chelsea, it was regarded as the moment when it all had to turn for the team.
A tricky, but winnable away game at Brentford, before a home game against Sunderland, were ideal preparation fixtures before the international break.
Now that United have lost to Brentford, the Sunderland game becomes a must-win, because a trip to Anfield awaits after the break.
O’Neil, speaking to Sky Sports after the game, had some sympathy for Amorim, but predicted that the international break after the Sunderland game could spell the end for him.
He said: “They’re going to need to put an unbelievable run of results together to start to convince people that this can turn into the Man United that we’re used to seeing.
“I love to see managers given time, as you know, I’m biased. I’m a manager, so I want them all to be given time and to be given the opportunity to show how good they are.
“But international breaks do tend to we do tend to see more changes. I suppose it is a natural time for clubs to look to make changes.”
Amorim can’t be judged game-by-game
It feels like a lifetime for Amorim at United because even though he retains the support of the hierarchy at Old Trafford, his tenure seems to be judged with every game.
Every win is a false dawn, and every loss makes the next game a must-win, which is not how logical football clubs operate.
The wider picture is that the team fails to win consistently in his system, and his stubbornness to not change it is costing him mileage with the fans.
Even if the team wins against Sunderland, it would just be a repeat of the win against Burnley, where all the talk of a turning point began.
That turned out to be a false dawn, and so will a win against Sunderland, because the systemic issues just won’t allow this team to flourish with any sustainability.
International break or not, something needs to give in the next month or so because this season is trending towards becoming another write-off, only without any mitigating factors, unlike the previous season.
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