Man United board retain faith in Ruben Amorim despite derby drubbing

Manchester United's board have no plans to dismiss manager Ruben Amorim despite a 3-0 derby defeat by Manchester City that has intensified scrutiny over the club's slow start to the Premier League season.

United sit on four points from four matches, their worst opening to a top-flight campaign since 1992-93, and were also knocked out of the Carabao Cup after a penalty shootout defeat to League Two side Grimsby Town. Daily Mail Sport understands the club's hierarchy believes Amorim, who was appointed midway through last season, remains the right person to oversee a rebuild and that progress is being made behind the scenes despite the results.

Club sources point to a combination of factors to explain the poor start, including a string of injuries to key players such as Matheus Cunha and Mason Mount. Those absences have limited Amorim's selection options and, according to the club, have disrupted the manager's plans to imprint his methods fully on the squad.

Amorim has resisted calls to alter his tactical approach following the City defeat, saying he will not change his footballing philosophy. "I won't change my philosophy," he said after the match. "If they (United bosses) want it changed, you change the man. I am not going to change my philosophy. I will play my way until I want to change. Guys, I understand and I accept it is not a record you should have at Man United. But there are a lot of things that you have no idea about what happen in the last months. I understand everything. It is normal, but I don't accept that we are not doing better. We are doing better and the results don't show that, the record says everything, I understand."

The derby defeat was watched by senior club figures, including owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, underscoring the high stakes around United's early-season form. Despite the blow of the Etihad result and the cup exit, the board's stance is that patience is required while the squad is rebuilt and Amorim's methods take fuller effect.

United's immediate fixtures will be closely scrutinised as further indicators of progress. They host Chelsea next weekend but matches against Brentford and Sunderland in the coming weeks are seen inside the club as more telling tests of whether the side is moving in the right direction.

Amorim's tenure so far has been marked by mixed results and periodic moments of promise since his arrival. The club's assessment, as conveyed by sources, is that structural improvements are underway even if the early-season record has not reflected that work. For now, the board has opted for continuity rather than a managerial change, emphasising internal review and recovery over an immediate dismissal.