Ruben Amorim is at risk of being axed by Manchester United after the club’s latest loss saw them plummet down the Premier League table to 14th
Ruben Amorim is once again feeling the heat after Manchester United’s miserable 3-1 loss to Brentford on Saturday.
Just days after a morale-boosting victory over Chelsea, the Red Devils lost all momentum in a tough outing at the Gtech Community Stadium. One silver lining from the match was Benjamin Sesko netting his first goal for United. However, this milestone was overshadowed by yet another lacklustre team performance and subsequent defeat.
United spent most of the match on the back foot, conceding two goals within the first 20 minutes. Sesko provided a glimmer of hope by scoring midway through the first half, but any comeback aspirations were dashed in stoppage time when Brentford secured their win with a third goal.
This result leaves Amorim’s squad in an all too familiar precarious position, teetering just above the relegation zone. With rumours swirling that club officials are considering potential replacements, the Portuguese manager can ill afford many more missteps. Here’s all the latest news from Old Trafford.
Ratcliffe ‘in contact with Southgate’
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the INEOS chief, has reportedly reached out to Gareth Southgate amid growing uncertainty over Amorim’s future.
The former England manager, who took the Three Lions to two European Championship finals, is believed to be on a shortlist of three potential successors, reports the Mirror.
TalkSPORT suggests Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner and Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola are also in the running. However, Southgate might have the upper hand due to Ratcliffe’s long-standing admiration for him and his current status as a free agent.
Southgate was first linked with the United job when Ratcliffe became co-owner in February 2024, and his name came up again after Erik ten Hag was sacked later that year.
The 55-year-old has been without a job since stepping down as England manager post Euro 2024, but his chances at Old Trafford could depend on timing.
Reports indicate that United are hesitant to let go of Amorim before November 1, when the compensation due to the Portuguese coach would significantly decrease.
United VAR complaints
Many disgruntled United fans felt the Red Devils were treated unfairly on Saturday when Brentford narrowly escaped a red card. This includes ex-Premier League referee Mark Halsey.
Collins conceded a second-half penalty after taking down former Bees forward Mbeumo in the box as the last man.
He was shown a yellow card, but some believe he should have been given his marching orders for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. VAR disagreed, backing referee Craig Pawson’s on-pitch decision after a review.
A statement from the Premier League Match Centre was later issued to clarify the decision. It read: “The referee’s call of penalty was checked and confirmed by VAR – with Collins deemed to have pulled Mbeumo back.
“VAR also checked the referee’s call of yellow card to Collins – and deemed that Mbeumo wasn’t in control of the ball.”
However, Halsey, who refereed in the Premier League for over a decade, lambasted both the decision and the subsequent explanation, suggesting the correct call was straightforward.
He said: “The statement from the Match Centre said that Mbeumo did not have control of the ball. It doesn’t say in law about having the ball under control. It’s about the likelihood of keeping control of the ball.
“In my opinion, the Match Centre statement was absolute nonsense and it was a clear, clear denial of a goalscoring opportunity.
“Manchester United will be very disappointed with that decision. A red card should have been shown to the Brentford player.”
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