Man Utd news: Ruben Amorim admits £36m mistake and is in the 'worst place' amid sack threat

Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United nightmare could soon come to an end, if recent reports are anything to go by. The Portuguese head coach’s torrid start to the season got even worse last Saturday as United were humbled 3-1 at Brentford.

The result was Amorim’s third Premier League defeat in six games to start the campaign, having also been knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Grimsby Town.

As such, it piled even more pressure on the 40-year-old, who was only appointed 11 months ago, with names such as Andoni Iraola, Xavi, Gareth Southgate and Oliver Glasner emerging as potential replacements.

Another tough Premier League fixture awaits against a recently-promoted but impressive Sunderland side on Saturday at Old Trafford. Here, Mirror Football takes a look at two of the biggest recent stories surrounding the Red Devils boss.

READ MORE: Ruben Amorim warned over huge Man Utd 'weakness' amid sack pressure

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Amorim confirms Zirkzee mistake

Despite voicing support for the struggling striker earlier this year, Amorim appears to have finally admitted United made a mistake when it came to signing Joshua Zirkzee a year ago, with the head coach reportedly looking to offload the Dutchman.

Zirkzee, 24, arrived from Bolognain a £36million transfer when Erik ten Hag was still in charge. He disappointed in his first season, scoring just three league goals in 32 appearances, and has struggled to get minutes under Amorim this season with just one start under his belt.

Despite Zirkzee’s contract running until June 2029, he appears to have emerged as a target for Cesc Fabregas’ Como ahead of the January transfer window. According to Italian outlet Corriere Como, the Serie A side, who finished 10th last term and are currently eighth after five games, are looking to reach an agreement with United.

The report claims the former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder is preparing to 'reshape' his team in the upcoming transfer window with the addition of Zirkzee being part of that. And by being prepared to let Zirkzee go, Amorim is confirming he has lost all faith in the forward.

Red Devils boss knows ‘it’s nearly game over’

A body language expert claims Amorim is cutting the figure of a man who knows his time is almost up at Old Trafford. The head coach has taken an abysmal 34 points from 33 games since taking charge last November.

He has largely failed to hide his emotions on the touchline, appearing crestfallen and frustrated on a weekly basis. Now, body language expert Darren Stanton has assessed Amorim’s demeanour during the recent Brentford defeat and given his verdict on what it says about his state of mind as he battles to stay in the job.

On Amorim’s crouched position, which he adopted at times, Stanton told the Manchester Evening News via OLBG: “Space is very much related to someone’s internal emotion. You can see him crouched down in a foetal position, almost like what a baby does. Imagine if someone was about to get beaten up, that’s the first stance they adopt. They go on the ground and put themselves in a foetal position.

“So basically, this is the worst that I’ve seen him. Being crouched down with his hands on his head is the personification of dejection, negativity and feeling really, really bad. Straight away, that image tells me that, emotionally, he’s in the worst place he’s been in since he started the role.”

Amorim was also seen with his head bowed down and his hand on the back of his neck. Stanton said: “That’s the ultimate pacifying gesture as well. The fact that he’s dipped his head down… the more space we occupy, when we want to show pride, our shoulders will be back, we’ll be smiling and our head will be up. But with Ruben Amorim, to dip his head down with his hand on the back of his head, again it shows the ultimate dejection and shame.”

Amorim looked even more dejected when sitting in the dugout, with Stanton adding: “With Ruben Amorim sat on his seat, it’s like he’s almost praying. He’s making himself small and I do believe that, within three to five days, I think he’ll be gone. If I was to give you some expressions that someone could demonstrate where they’re at an ultimate low emotionally, this would be it.”

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