Sir Jim Ratcliffe has flown in for talks with under-pressure Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim, according to reports.
Amorim is under serious pressure with Man Utd currently 14th in the Premier League with one win from their opening four games. They were also knocked out in the second round of the Carabao Cup by League Two side Grimsby Town.
Their only victory came via a 97th-minute Bruno Fernandes penalty against newly-promoted Burnley, while they have been beaten by Manchester City and Arsenal and drawn at Fulham.
After finishing 15th last season, Man Utd backed Amorim with a £230million transfer kitty as Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha were among those to join the club in an overhaul of the Portuguese’s attack.
The Red Devils’ hierarchy are reportedly aiming to remain patient with the 40-year-old head coach despite no signs of improvement on the pitch, even with three supposedly elite attacking additions.
Amorim might be safe for now, but the club’s co-owner Ratcliffe flew in for talks with the head coach on Thursday evening, according to The Athletic.
It’s stated that the talks were ‘pre-planned’ as Ratcliffe arrived at the club’s Carrington training ground ‘for a series of meetings’.
While Ratcliffe’s visit has been on the agenda for a while, discussing the club’s poor form with Amorim was a top priority.
The report states:
Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe flew into the club’s Carrington training ground in a helicopter on Thursday for a series of meetings, including with the team’s head coach Ruben Amorim.
United sources, speaking anonymously as they are not authorised to speak publicly on the matter, insisted Ratcliffe’s visit to Carrington was long planned and included time with Amorim. However, the team’s form was on the agenda and Ratcliffe was seeking to work through issues facing Amorim at the club.
The British billionaire has openly expressed his fondness for Amorim, saying in March that he believes he is the right man for the job.
He told The Times: “Yeah, I do, honestly. I really, really like Ruben. He’s a very thoughtful guy.
“Every time I go to the training ground, I speak to Ruben. I sit down and have a cup of coffee with him and tell him where it’s going wrong, and he tells me to f*** off. I like him.”
Amorim said after losing in the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur in May that he would leave without taking compensation and after Sunday’s defeat at Man City, suggested Ratcliffe would likely need to sack him if he wants to see a shift in tactics.
“I understand (the criticism) and I accept. It is not a record you should have in Manchester United. There are a lot of things,” he said.
“You have no idea what happened during these months but I accept that. I am not going to change. When I want to change my philosophy, I will change. If not, you have to change the man.
“We talk about that every game that we lose. I don’t believe in that in the system or whatever. I believe in my way and I am going to play my way until I want to change.”