Man Utd chief Sir Jim Ratcliffe has made feelings clear about manager losing dressing room

British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe may not be fazed about rumours suggesting Ruben Amorim is "losing the dressing room" at Manchester United. At least, that's if his previous treatment of Erik ten Hag amid similar pressure to produce results is anything to judge.

Following an all-time worst Premier League finish of 15th last season, United now sit 14th after Sunday's 3-0 thrashing at the hands of Manchester City. Ratcliffe was already dismayed by the face United won't feature in European competition this term, not to mention they're also out of the EFL Cup following a humiliating defeat against League Two Grimsby. That has sparked speculation suggesting Amorim is struggling to keep his players onside less than a year into his tenure. However, media conjecture didn't appear to bother Ratcliffe & Co the last time considering almost 11 months passed between Ten Hag being subject to the same reports and him finally being sacked.

It was all the way back in December 2023 that Sky Sports first reported Ten Hag had lost sections of the United squad. At the time, it was claimed members of the playing staff were uncertain about his tactical approach and were unhappy with his management of Jadon Sancho.

Ten Hag's feud with Sancho was well-documented, with the Dutchman raising concerns with the winger's performances in training early on in the 2023/24 campaign. The former City academy graduate re-joined Borussia Dortmund on loan in January 2024, whilst United showed signs of improvement over time.

Had it not been for United's FA Cup final victory over City in May 2024, Ten Hag would likely have been shown the door earlier. However, that win bought him some time beyond the 2024 summer transfer window, during which he received further support from co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his Ineos team.

Fast forward nearly two years, and there are some uncanny parallels between those uncertain times and the present situation. Amorim was given the resources to overhaul his squad in his first summer transfer window at the club, offloading a significant amount of players considered surplus to requirements.

The notorious 'bomb squad', including the likes of Sancho, Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho and Antony, have all been shipped out, either on loan or permanently. Yet it appears there are still some members of the squad who are struggling to get on board.

United have managed just one victory from their last five matches in all competitions this season. Even that required a controversial injury-time penalty to edge past newly promoted Burnley at Old Trafford last month.

It was always predicted the team would need time to adjust to Amorim's favoured three-at-the-back system. But with approximately £250million splashed out on new signings since his arrival, patience is wearing thin as to how much longer it will take for the system to start delivering results.

Present unrest amongst the squad is believed to originate from certain senior figures left baffled by Amorim's inflexible stance. Those players feel the manager is continuing with a system that doesn't suit the personnel, yet Amorim has consistently indicated he will remain steadfast in the tactics that drove his success at Sporting CP.

Serious questions surround Amorim's longevity in Manchester, with many believing the writing is on the wall for the Portuguese unless there is a dramatic improvement in performances imminently. Nevertheless, the current boss may have considerable time left to orchestrate a turnaround if United's handling of Ten Hag despite "losing the dressing room" is any indication.