‘Speaking with people this week’ - Laurie Whitwell shares whether Man Utd would sack Amorim if Sunderland beat them

Manchester United are unlikely to sack Ruben Amorim should they lose to Sunderland on Saturday, according to The Athletic journalist Laurie Whitwell.

The Red Devils head coach is under pressure following a woeful start to 2025-26, and some of the fans are calling for his dismissal.

Amorim insists he will stick with his 3-4-3 system despite the limited success it has yielded, but the board wants to continue supporting him and have no plans to sack him anytime soon even if they suffer another defeat this weekend.

“I still think from speaking to people, even if they lost to Sunderland, I don’t think that would be the end for Ruben Amorim,” Whitwell said on the latest episode of the Talk of the Devils podcast.

“Speaking with people this week, getting the same information that’s already been reported – Sir Jim Ratcliffe is the ultimate decision maker on this, really.

“He’d take recommendations from Omar Berrarda and Jason Wilcox, and the Glazers, Joel Glazer specifically, would have an opinion.

“Ratcliffe is the one who’ll decide and I’m told he wants to give Amorim the full season. It’s a new squad, to a degree, it’s the coach trying to get his methods across even more so. We can debate if that’s the right choice or not, but that’s the current messaging from the very top with Sir Jim Ratcliffe.”

It is not the news most Man United fans would want to hear, but it is only normal for the minority owner to be willing to support his man for a full season.

The Red Devils have picked up just two Premier League victories in six games so far, and defeat to the newly-promoted team will further irk the fans.

The Black Cats have won three league games and lost just once this term, and they will fancy their chances of leaving Old Trafford with a result following a solid start to the season.

A defeat will be a huge blow for Man United, and while Amorim is unlikely to lose his job if that happens, the Portuguese will be desperate to avoid losing to them.

He will have no excuses if the visitors leave with all three points or even one, and he needs to ensure the Red Devils go on a winning run to boost his chances of really holding on to his job.

Article written by Alani Adefunmiloye .