Ruben Amorim still retains the backing of the Manchester United board but looks set to be offered an escape route from Old Trafford.
Amorim’s job is under huge scrutiny after the Premier League giants were knocked out of the Carabao Cup by League Two side Grimsby Town.
United fell two goals behind in the first half of Wednesday’s cup game before scoring two late goals to send the second-round tie to penalties.
But it was the League Two side who advanced courtesy of a 12-11 win in the shootout to seal a huge upset and raise further questions about Amorim’s future.
Manchester United finished just 15th in the Premier League last season and failed to qualify for Europe after losing the Europa League final to Tottenham.
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A promising summer window gave United fans cause for optimism but the Red Devils were then beaten on the opening day by Arsenal before only drawing 1-1 with Fulham last weekend.
An embarrassing defeat to Grimsby was arguably the club’s nadir since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013.
Despite losing to a League Two side, Manchester United are still backing Amorim to turn things around, according to The Times.
Some fans want Amorim gone but the ex-Sporting Lisbon manager still has the backing of the club’s board, including co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Ratcliffe is prepared to give Amorim more time, though that patience will be put to the test if Manchester United continue to struggle in the coming weekend.
As a result Amorim will still be in charge of the side on Saturday when United face Premier League new-boys Burnley in a must-win match at Old Trafford.
The subsequent international break will give Amorim a chance to reflect on the opening weeks of the 2025-26 campaign before United face two tricky games against Manchester City and Chelsea.
While Amorim still has the backing of his bosses, The Times say he could be offered an escape route by another of his former clubs, Benfica.
Amorim is known for his time in charge of Sporting, where he won two league titles, but he also enjoyed a successful playing career at Benfica, lifting three league titles with the club.
Joao Noronha Lopes, who intends to become the new Benfica president, is believed to be a ‘big fan’ of Amorim and would love to bring him back to the club.
Benfica are holding their presidential elections in October and Lopes is one of five candidates hoping to unseat current occupant Rui Costa.
‘He’s an excellent coach, under contract with Manchester United,’ Lopes recently said when asked about Amorim. ‘I won’t destabilise Benfica. They have a very important match ahead of them.’
Amorim apologised to Manchester United fans after the humiliating defeat to Grimsby Town while admitting he could not explain the poor performance against a team in the fourth tier of English football.
Asked if he could believe what transpired at Blundell Park, Amorim said ‘No, but I’m the manager. It should be my job to understand what happened.
‘Again, I’m really sorry for our fans. Let’s focus on the next game. I would like to say very smart things and very important things [about how to improve] but I have nothing to say.’
Amorim, who was hired last November as Erik ten Hag’s replacement, has won only seven of his 29 Premier League matches in charge.
Manchester United’s next opponents, Burnley, lost to Tottenham on the opening day but responded by beating fellow newly-promoted Sunderland last weekend.
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