Man Utd fear Ruben Amorim could QUIT as boardroom alarm bells ring and senior stars disillusioned

Manchester United bosses still fear that Ruben Amorim could WALK OUT - despite seeing his team salvage a huge win over Burnley thanks to captain Bruno Fernandes’ injury-time penalty. United secured their first victory of the new season in a dramatic ­finale just as newly-promoted ­ Burnley looked set to deliver another devastating blow to the beleaguered boss.

Reds’ chiefs remain steadfast in their belief that Amorim can turn around the team. But the 40-year-old needs to ­control the erratic behaviour that has become a cause for concern.

Talk was rife inside Old Trafford in the aftermath of the seismic Carabao Cup defeat at Grimsby on Wednesday night that Amorim might be ready to walk away during the international break regardless of the result against Burnley. That prospect may have subsided for now after the boost of a dramatic first victory of the new season.

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But Amorim said: “I’m not thinking about a turning point. I’ve had this conversation with you guys like 10 times. It’s day by day. I’m happy. We returned a little bit to our level today.

“If you take away Wednesday, we are more consistent in the performance compared to last year. That’s a good thing.”

Some senior players are disillusioned with Amorim’s steadfast commitment to the tactical formation that served him so well at Sporting Lisbon but does not fit the profile of his squad in Manchester.

He has alienated others with his habit of going public with criticism they feel should be kept in-house. After the defeat at Blundell Park he admitted that sometimes he hated his players.

Amorim has also not been afraid to voice his doubts about whether he is a good fit for the job.

Alarm bells started ringing in the boardroom in May when Amorim declared he would be prepared to leave United without seeking a compensation package if he felt stepping away would benefit both himself and the club.

He came out after the Burnley win to defend keeper Altay Bayindir after the Turkey international’s latest blunder allowed Jaidon Anthony to fire home the Clarets’ second equaliser.

Amorim said: “Yes, in some moments [I hate the players]. But when they put in the effort, I will always love them. We need to understand that we should have always been on this level of effort.

“We played well in the beginning. When the match was not so perfect, you can feel that the team struggled a little bit – but the effort was always there.

“Guys, they are humans. Everybody talks about the goalkeeper. But I think it’s hard to be a Manchester United goalkeeper in this moment.

“The players are struggling a little bit with all the things around the club. That is normal. So it’s not just the goalkeepers. Everybody has to improve.”

United feel they have backed Amorim to the hilt – both in terms of transfer funds and banishing big-name players like Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Antony, Alejandro Garnacho and Tyrell Malacia from his squad.

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