Man Utd will break new ground if owners stick to controversial Ruben Amorim plan

Sir Jim Ratcliffe insists Ruben Amorim needs three years to "demonstrate he is a great coach" as he underlined his faith in the under-fire Manchester United boss - who would be the first since Sir Alex Ferguson if he did last that long.

The Scot's storied tenure ended in 2013, after which a succession of big-name managers have tried and failed to repeat his success. As a result they've been moved on, some quicker than others, and now Amorim is the man tasked with making United great again.

He's coming up to his first anniversary as Red Devils boss, but has endured a nightmare stint thus far. Nevertheless he appears to have the confidence from the man at the top, who has shown no interest in sacking the Portuguese head coach.

If Ratcliffe did indeed give Amorim three years to prove his worth then he will have lasted longer than any United manager since Ferguson - despite having the worst win record of any permanent manager. As things stand Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who was one month shy of three years, is the man to be in the job the longest.

But in an interview on the Times' The Business podcast Ratcliffe said on his head coach: "He has not had the best of seasons. Ruben needs to demonstrate he is a great coach over three years. That's where I would be."

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David Moyes failed to last a season when he was handed the unenviable task of replacing Ferguson. Louis van Gaal was then given two years at the helm, but failing to make the Champions League in his second year cost him, even if he did win the FA Cup in his last game.

Jose Mourinho, one of only two managers to achieve a second place finish, lasted two years and seven months before Solskjaer came in. Erik ten Hag is so far the only manager to be moved on by Racliffe and Ineos with the Dutchman having his job for just over two years.

Amorim was the first manager appointed by Ratcliffe and the team of lieutenants he set-up. They are out to prove they got the right man, even if all the stats and performances suggest Amorim may struggle to turn around the club's fortunes.

But the Ineos chief has hit out at the speculation surrounding the United boss' future, insisting too many people want to see overnight fixes and immediate success.

He said: "The press, sometimes I don't understand. They want overnight success. They think it's a light switch. You know, you flick a switch and it's all going to be roses tomorrow. You can't run a club like Manchester United on knee-jerk reactions to some journalist who goes off on one every week."

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