How 'Ruben Interim' blew his Man United honeymoon - and why they really are in a relegation battle
Daily MailJoin Mail+ to read Man Utd Confidential every Tuesday, plus more exclusive scoops, in-depth coverage and analysis from Old Trafford PLUS: why the 39-year-old was passed over for the Liverpool job earlier this year Just for a moment, Ruben Amorim’s easy smile disappeared and the eyes narrowed. Ruben Amorim began to show the strains of trying to turn Man United around after their defeat to Wolves Amorim's side were comfortably beaten at Molineux to slump to their eighth league defeat of the season United now sit 14th in the table, the same position the club occupied when Erik ten Hag was handed his walking papers On the journey back to Manchester and his house in the south of the city later in the evening, there will have been plenty of time to reflect once again on the magnitude of the job he has taken on. Sir Jim Ratcliffe has not shied away from making tough decisions since assuming control of football operations at United Dan Ashworth was part of the delegation that travelled to meet Amorim before his appointment and has since been sacked Meanwhile Joao Pereira, Amorim's successor at Sporting, has suffered the same fate ‘I know that if we don't win, regardless, if they pay the buyout or not, I know that every manager is in danger.’ It seems ridiculously early to even entertain such talk, but the question he challenged at Molineux raises a more sensible debate. Amorim has accepted the blame for results and even United’s problems on set-pieces, having taken those responsibilities off Ten Hag’s man Andreas Georgson and given them to his Portuguese assistant Carlos Fernandes.