Man Utd suffered a comprehensive defeat against their city rivals in front of co-owner Jim Ratcliffe and the board. Phil Foden opened the scoring with a header in the first half before Erling Haaland's second-half brace sealed the victory for Man City.

Co-owner Jim Ratcliffe stands in front of former manager Alex Ferguson as he watches Man Utd lose 3-0 to Man City in the fourth round of the Premier League at Etihad Stadium, Manchester, UK on 14/9/2025. *Photo: AP*

Speaking on Sky Sports, Gary Neville emphasized that Amorim must quickly improve Man Utd's performance after spending over 200 million USD on squad reinforcements during the summer of 2025. Man Utd recruited three forwards: Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha, and Bryan Mbeumo, along with goalkeeper Senne Lammens, while offloading Marcus Rashford, Antony, Jadon Sancho, Rasmus Hojlund, and Alejandro Garnacho.

Neville suggested that Amorim could be sacked as early as October if Man Utd doesn't improve, admitting he has "seen this movie many times" with failing managers at Old Trafford. "Man Utd are 14th after just four rounds. If they're still in 14th or 15th place come October, the manager will be in big trouble," the former England defender commented. "They spent over 200 million USD and had a full summer to prepare, so they need to start winning immediately. It's not time to panic, but I foresee what will happen if the situation doesn't change."

Roy Keane was even more critical, describing Man Utd as an average and weak team. The Irish legend criticized his former club for their passive and uncommitted performance, evidenced by the fact they didn't receive any yellow cards. He said, "This was a fiery match, it was raining, the conditions were perfect for tackles. Yet they played like it was a friendly, without a single yellow card. Football is a contact sport, get stuck in!"

Keane also argued that Amorim is stubbornly persisting with a three-defender system despite the poor results. "Man Utd have scored four goals in four games, two of which were penalties. That's not the mark of a strong attacking team. At this rate, there's no sign things will get better," the 54-year-old former player lamented.

Matthijs de Ligt (red shirt) challenges Jeremy Doku. *Photo: Reuters*

Meanwhile, former defender Danny Simpson highlighted personnel issues. He argued that some players, like Patrick Dorgu, Diogo Dalot, and Noussair Mazraoui, are not suited to the Premier League and are hindering Man Utd's play. "Sesko is trying, but he can't do anything when his teammates aren't creating chances," Simpson analyzed.

Since Amorim replaced Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford, Man Utd have earned only 31 points in 31 matches—the worst record among teams consistently present in the Premier League during the same period. Amorim's Premier League win rate is just 26% (8 wins in 31 matches)—the lowest of any permanent Man Utd manager since World War II.

The Opta supercomputer paints an even bleaker picture, giving Man Utd a 10.95% chance of relegation, double their 4.18% chance of securing a Champions League spot.

Hong Duy (*via Daily Mail*)