Ruben Amorim told when Sir Jim Ratcliffe will have to pull trigger in Man Utd sack warning

Ruben Amorim has been warned that he must hit the ground running next season at Manchester United or face the threat of an early exit. The Portuguese head coach has secured only six victories from his first 21 Premier League matches since taking over in November, following Erik ten Hag's departure.

Despite a rocky start at Old Trafford, United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe expressed confidence in Amorimlast month, suggesting the 40-year-old would be at the helm "for a long time." However, with the team currently sitting 14th in the league table, it's been claimed that Amorim needs to deliver results within five or six games once the new season starts to avoid Ratcliffe wielding the axe. The warning comes in the wake of comments from ex-United goalkeeper Ben Foster, who said that the fans' patience is wearing thin after each defeat, with the latest being a 4-1 loss against Newcastle United on Sunday.

"Man United fans are losing that goodwill with every passing day," said the former England and Wrexham keeper on his 'Fozcast' podcast. "Don't get me wrong, I think he's going to stay until the end of season. But he'll be at a place where, if they get off to a bad start and they lose three or four out of five or six, he'll get sacked."

Notwithstanding the criticism aimed at his system, Amorim remains steadfast with his favoured 3-4-3 formation. There are widespread expectations for a significant squad revamp during the summer as he aims to assemble a team that aligns with his tactics.

However, Foster argues that a more pragmatic approach in the short term could have allowed United to accumulate more points. He suggested that Amorim should have sought advice from his coaching staff to find a strategy that would suit his current team.

Foster said: "It's just not going to work, so why doesn't he look at this squad and go and talk to his senior players. [He should] talk to the coaches and people who have been at a club for a long time and go 'What do you think is the best position and the best style of play for this group of players?'

"There's going to be a big overhaul, so why don't you wait until the summer when you could really identify the specialists and the players that he needs in certain positions to play the system that he wants to play."

Foster's remarks stand in stark contrast to those made by Jamie Carragher following United's loss to Newcastle. The Liverpool icon argued that the club knew what they were getting into when they appointed Amorim and countered those suggesting he should alter his playing style.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Carragher said: "People are still yet to be convinced by that [the system], so is that the right decision? Not actually from him, [but] by the club for employing him because he came with that system, that's his DNA.

"People keep saying, 'oh, he's got to change the system.' I don't really see it like that because his whole managerial career and the success that he's had has been based on that system, that's what he knows. If he goes to something else, they might as well change the manager."

United are set to welcome Lyon to Old Trafford on Thursday, with their sights set on securing a spot in the Europa League semi-finals. Following that, Amorim's squad will take on Wolves in a Premier League clash on Sunday.