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Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy has warned Sir Jim Ratcliffe that his comments on Ruben Amorim will come back to bite him after the Manchester United co-owner suggested he would give his manager three years to turn things around at Old Trafford.
Despite easing some of the pressure on him with a win over Sunderland before the international break, Amorim is not out of the woods yet after what has been a desperately poor time in charge at United.
The former Sporting CP boss, who was heavily linked with Liverpool before Arne Slot was appointed, led the Red Devils to a 15th-place finish last season, while also missing out on a place in the Champions League after losing the Europa League final to Tottenham.
Things haven’t got any better this season, with United currently in 10th, and having already been knocked out of the Carabao Cup by League Two side Grimsby Town.
Liverpool hosts United next on Sunday, with both sides needing to relieve pressure with a win - the Reds head into the game having lost their last three fixtures in all competitions.
Despite the mounting calls for Amorim to be fired, Ratcliffe recently gave his backing to his manager, while claiming it would take three years for him to demonstrate he is a “great coach.”
Murphy though feels it was a mistake for Ratcliffe to make such a bold statement, and pointed to Liverpool and Arne Slot as he explained why he could end up regretting it.
“I think Sir Jim Ratcliffe got cornered a bit and wasn’t especially well prepared for the interview where he talked about giving Ruben Amorim three years to turn things around at Manchester United,” Murphy told online betting site BetWright.
“I don’t think he should have said that and it’s inevitably going to come back to bite him.
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"If United lose their next three or four games, the pressure from the fans will get too much and the board will have no choice but to sack Amorim.
"Ratcliffe would have been better off saying that the board are backing the manager and that they’re being patient, whilst recognizing that it isn’t going to be the easiest of tasks – but it would at least show that they are right behind him.
"The reality is you can’t make any guarantees in football. You could argue that with Liverpool winning the league in Arne Slot’s first season at the club - you can’t make a guarantee that he will be there in three years and they’re flying.
"In my opinion, it was ill-advised of Ratcliffe to not have an answer prepared for each of those questions and it will probably come back to bite him in six months’ time."
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