Ruben Amorim latest: Man United boss faces sack risk in Sunderland clash with 'must-win' claim made

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim is reportedly at risk of being sacked if his side loses to Sunderland on Saturday.

After overseeing a 15th-placed finish last season, Amorim knew that he had to hit the ground running at the start of the 2025-26 campaign to ease the pressure surrounding his position.

However, the Red Devils have carried their poor form into the new season, seeing their opening seven competitive matches produce two wins, one draw, three defeats and a penalty-shootout loss against Grimsby Town in the EFL Cup.

Amorim's charges are currently down in 14th position after losing 3-1 to Brentford at the Gtech Community Stadium last weekend.

Man United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has so far stuck by the head coach that he appointed last November, but it seems that the hierarchy are slowly losing faith in the former Sporting Lisbon boss.

Amorim facing sack risk in Sunderland fixture

According to The Telegraph, there is a possibility that Amorim could be sacked if his team lose to Sunderland in Saturday's Premier League clash at Old Trafford.

Amorim is allegedly under 'acute pressure', and that the match is seen as a 'must-win' game, suggesting that even a draw may not be enough to keep Amorim in his post.

The Premier League will pause for an international break following the weekend's round of fixtures, which would be an opportune moment to change the manager if Man United feel the need to move on from Amorim.

Man United's board will also be wary that a poor result on Saturday would act as the worst possible preparation for a difficult clash against rivals Liverpool in the first game back after the international break.

How likely is a Man United defeat on Saturday?

Man United have won their last two Premier League home matches, and in theory, they should be a much stronger force than their newl- promoted opponents.

However, Sunderland have acquitted themselves well in their first top-flight campaign since 2016-17, having won three, drawn two and lost one of their six matches.

As a result, Regis Le Bris's side will enter Saturday's fixture with a four-point advantage over the 20-time English champions.

With that in mind, Man United can ill-afford to be complacent and will surely have to be somewhere near their best to condemn Sunderland to just their second defeat of the Premier League season.

Historically, the Red Devils have usually fared well in home games against the Black Cats, having won 21 of their previous 31 head-to-head home meetings (D9, L1).