Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim needs three years to prove he is a "great manager", according to co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Amorim will complete a year in charge at Old Trafford in November, but his record since joining from Portuguese club Sporting has not been good. United finished 15th in the Premier League last season, their worst performance since the 1973-74 season, when they were relegated from the top flight.
Despite spending over £200m in the summer, they have already lost three league games this season and were knocked out of the EFL Cup by League Two side Grimsby. Although sources close to Ratcliffe insisted at the time that Amorim was in no immediate danger of being sacked, a fresh round of speculation ahead of the 2-0 win over Sunderland suggested that Amorim could lose his place if United did not win.
However, in an interview on The Business podcast, Ratcliffe said that this was not true and believes that Amorim, whom he describes as "a good man", needs a long time to prove his worth:
“He hasn't had the best season,” Ratcliffe said. "Ruben has to show that he is a great coach in three years. That is what I would like."
There are many observers who say the 40-year-old Amorim will not succeed at United, criticising him for refusing to change his 3-4-2-1 formation on the pitch. Ratcliffe said he is not interested in that kind of discussion and sees it as a position of ignorance. “The press, sometimes they don’t understand,” he said. “They want instant success.”
