By Scott Trotter

Copyright manchestereveningnews

After a poor start to the season, Ruben Amorim ‘s position in charge of Manchester United is under scrutiny. The Portuguese coach has recorded just 19 wins from 49 matches in his first 11 months with the club, and despite leading them to the final of the Europa League , he has failed to figure things out domestically. After finishing 15th in 2024/25, United currently sit 14th in the division this term, with just two wins from six matches. Reports have claimed the 40-year-old’s position could be under threat if results and performances don’t improve, but the Manchester Evening News understand he still has the full backing of the United board at the moment. With that said, we round-up some of the latest news surrounding the former Sporting CP boss’ future. Gareth Southgate would reject an approach from United in the event Amorim is sacked. The former England boss was previously among the top contenders to become United boss in March 2024. While Southgate’s determination to focus on England ahead of the European Championships prevented United’s desire to enter talks on that occasion, the coach is not out of work. The Daily Star reports however, that Southgate is in no rush to return to football, and continues to keep his options open. Perhaps crucially, Southgate is close friends with Dan Ashworth, whose long-term plan was to appoint Southgate during his time at United before departing after five months . Sky Sports pundit Alan Smith reckons Amorim’s time at United is coming to an end and he has already reached the point of no return. “It’s got to that point of no return, I don’t think things are going to get better,” said Smith in an interview with Sky Sports News. “He’s been in the hot seat for coming up to a year, and he’s had a transfer window, but you can’t see any signs of improvement. “One or two matches, you get flashes. They [United] played quite well against Arsenal on the opening day, but still lost. “I’ve never seen a manager go about their business the way that Ruben Amorim is at the moment. It’s a well-trodden path about his system and the fact that it maybe doesn’t suit a lot of the players. “But you’re not telling me he shouldn’t be doing better, even with that system. You look at the players at the back – Matthijs de Ligt, Harry Maguire – Bruno Fernandes going forward, [Matheus] Cunha and [Bryan] Mbeumo. They’ve got good players. “It doesn’t look like the right fit and that’s putting it mildly. There’s a lot of talk that they’re not going to sack him until a certain date towards the end of this year to save a pay-off. “It’s difficult to read the minds of the hierarchy at United as to what they’re thinking, but I think they know and everyone will be telling them that it is time for a change.” Few appear certain that Amorim’s position is secure, with journalist Fabrizio Romano suggesting while the coach is not going to be sacked imminently, upcoming games could prove crucial . “I’m not here saying that Amorim is absolutely safe,” he said. “Amorim’s job is not absolutely safe in this moment because they need to perform in a different way because Man United want to see results. “But it doesn’t mean that Manchester United have met with Southgate or already started the process to appoint Gareth Southgate as new boss. “So let’s wait. Let’s see what happens. But for sure, the next games will be important for Ruben Amorim.” Amorim may have one more month to convince United chiefs he is worth persisting with. It was previously reported that United may delay any sacking of Amorim until he reaches a year of service due to the substantial compensation package he would receive. As per the Daily Mail , United would need to pay up a hefty £12m bill if they sack the 40-year-old before he reaches 12 months in the hotseat. On the other hand, there are fears that Amorim could be the one to instigate the exit. United’s co-owners, Ineos, are said to be worried that their boss might choose to resign before being dismissed . It is claimed that Amorim could do this in an attempt to preserve his managerial reputation, as he becomes increasingly frustrated by the constant criticism following losses. According to the i Newspaper , Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos are prepared to stand by their manager but Amorim might soon have to contemplate stepping down to ‘preserve his managerial career’. The United boss believes assessments of United’s defeats can be ‘knee-jerk’ reactions and is reportedly taken aback by the intense scrutiny surrounding his managerial tenure.