INEOS have handed Ruben Amorim an “ultimatum” over his future as Manchester United head coach with one key target to meet, according to a report.
Europe or Bust
Ben Jacobs (talkSPORT) reveals the Old Trafford hierarchy consider European qualification this season as “essential” despite the team’s poor start to the campaign.
“Ruben Amorim has been tasked with qualifying for European football this season, talkSPORT understands. Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe flew into the club’s Carrington training ground on Thursday and stressed to Amorim the need for on-field results to improve.”
United have lost three of their opening five fixtures, including the humiliating exit in the Carabao Cup at the hands of Grimsby Town. The solitary win comes against newly-promoted Burnley.
The Red Devils are currently 14th in the Premier League table, already six points away from the top four (on goal difference), with fixtures against Chelsea and Liverpool on the horizon.
Performances are better this season – as demonstrated by improvements in underlying statistics – but results are yet to follow. And in a results-driven business, there is only so much xG can paper over the cracks of three defeats in five games.
Jacobs reveals Ratcliffe, INEOS’ chairman, has given a “strict demand” for European football to be secured for next season. The British billionaire is said to believe United’s squad is “capable of a top-five finish, although Champions League is not the stated or budgeted goal for 2025/26.”
This means qualification into Europe’s elite competition is not crucial, but there is a clear expectation of participation in the Europa League or Conference League by the end of May.
And Jacobs describes this as an “ultimatum”, suggesting failure to abide by it will result in an exit from Old Trafford for Amorim.
INEOS continue to support their man
United’s final standing in the table is, naturally, a longer-term objective, however.
At present, Amorim retains the full support of the club’s hierarchy, including Ratcliffe, after a series of meetings with Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox yesterday to discuss the team’s poor form.
There is quiet confidence amongst executives that the improvements in performance will, eventually, translate to better results – and United will steadily climb the table.
Theory rarely translates to practice at Old Trafford, however, and if United were to fall to a heavy defeat against Chelsea tomorrow, the pressure on Amorim would reach fever pitch.
The Portuguese coach cannot afford for his side to repeat the type of performance as last weekend’s Manchester Derby, which saw run out comfortable 3-0 winners despite United playing well at times.
Amorim has a clear directive from his executives: European football next year or a return to Portugal at the end of the season.
Featured image Richard Heathcote via Getty Images
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Darragh Fox
Darragh is a writer for The Peoples Person who spent three years as a history graduate slowly realising football was by far the most interesting thing to write about.
