Ruben Amorim given brutal three-word Man Utd sack verdict after sluggish start

Former Manchester City defender Joleon Lescott thinks Ruben Amorim will have left Manchester United by Christmas. The Red Devils started the new season in promising fashion, albeit with a 1-0 loss against Arsenal.

Though this defeat was valiant, and buoyed by recruits Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko, the horizon looked bright. A 1-1 draw against Fulham soon darkened such hopes, and a Carabao Cup exit at the hands of League Two Grimsby Townwas a new low.

A last-gasp 3-2 victory against Burnley followed, but the win was not convincing, and an injury to new man Cunha acted as yet another stain on a campaign still in its infancy. Being knocked out of the League Cup on penalties to a relative minnow brought with it calls for the manager to be sacked. While such suggestions have quieted, Lescott still thinks that by the new year, United will have a new manager.

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After the international break, a daunting trip to the Etihad and rivals City beckons for Amorim. Pep Guardiola's side have not started the season well either, and Lescott insists both managers are under duress.

"The pressure is on for both managers [Amorim and Guardiola]," stated Lescott on In The Mixer, brought to you by Sky Bet. "Different types of pressure, though.

"Pep's job isn't under threat, but Amorim's is, yeah," continued Lescott before predicting that Amorim will be 'gone by Christmas'. He added: "I'd be very surprised if he (Amorim) is still there by Christmas. If he is there in January 2026, they're just being stubborn. He looks lost."

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Lescott, who played at the Etihad from 2009 to 2014 and made 160 appearances, further feels like Amorim's Manchester counterpart, Guardiola, has had his City exit signalled via new recruits.

Asked if City are preparing for life without Guardiola, Lescott responded: "Yeah, maybe. You're going to have to. The standards may be different this season because it's a new era, you know.

"When you've got experienced players who have been there for a longer period, they are the ones who get you through tough times. Whereas now, there's [Tijjani] Reijnders, [Rayan] Cherki. They're all experiencing negativity together for the first time. So who is going to get them out of it?

"I think, like prior to Pep, a lot of this summer's signings are post-Pep. Just like when they signed Kevin [De Bruyne], Delphy [Fabian Delph], Raheem [Sterling], they all signed before Pep arrived, but they were for Pep."

Guardiola extended his stay in Manchester late last year by penning a deal that expires in 2027, and he told ESPN: "After my contract with City, I'm going to stop. I'm sure. I don't know if I'm going to retire, but I'm going to take a break. How I want to be remembered, I don't know.

"All coaches want to win so we can have a memorable job, but I believe that the fans of Barcelona, Bayern Munich and City had fun watching my teams play. I don't think we should ever live thinking about whether we're going to be remembered."

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