Doubts over Slot tenure at Liverpool used to beat Man Utd owner Ratcliffe over Amorim comments
Danny Murphy has used Arne Slot’s situation at Liverpool to explain why Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s recent comments about Man Utd boss Ruben Amorim were “ill advised”.
The Red Devils had an awful 2024/25 campaign with Amorim failing to qualify for Europe in his first season at the club after Man Utd finished 15th in the Premier League.
And it’s been similar so far this term with the Red Devils show lots of inconsistent form after winning three, losing three and drawing one of their seven Premier League matches, while they were knocked out of the League Cup by League Two Grimsby Town.
Amorim has picked up just 37 points from 34 Premier League matches since taking over from Erik ten Hag towards the beginning of last season.
There were some rumours that a heavy defeat against Sunderland would have potentially cost Amorim his job after another shaky start to the campaign.
But a 2-0 win over the Black Cats saw Man Utd move up to tenth in the Premier League table and give Amorim move time in the Old Trafford hotseat.
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After that match, an interview was released in which Ratcliffe suggested that Amorim could be afforded three years to get it right at Man Utd.
The Red Devils’ first game back after the international break is against defending champions Liverpool, who have lost their last three matches in all competitions, and former Reds midfielder Murphy insists Ratcliffe’s comments about Amorim’s future were “ill advised”.
Murphy told BetWright: “I think Sir Jim Ratcliffe got cornered a bit and wasn’t especially well prepared for the interview where he talked about giving Ruben Amorim three years to turn things around at Manchester United. I don’t think he should have said that and it’s inevitably going to come back to bite him.
“If United lose their next three or four games, the pressure from the fans will get too much and the board will have no choice but to sack Amorim.
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“Ratcliffe would have been better off saying that the board are backing the manager and that they’re being patient, whilst recognising that it isn’t going to be the easiest of tasks – but it would at least show that they are right behind him.
“The reality is you can’t make any guarantees in football. You could argue that with Liverpool winning the league in Arne Slot’s first season at the club – you can’t make a guarantee that he will be there in three years and they’re flying.
“In my opinion, it was ill advised of Ratcliffe to not have an answer prepared for each of those questions and it will probably come back to bite him in six months’ time.”
