DAVID McDONNELI

Our man in the Old Trafford know

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Ferguson took four years to win his first trophy at United, the FA Cup in 1990, but time is not a luxury managers are afforded in today's game, despite Ratcliffe's insistence that Amorim needs time to prove he is, in his words, a “great coach’.

There is no doubting Amorim’ coaching prowess - two Primeira Liga titles with Sporting Lisbon is testimony to that — but his intransigence in terms of his system and playing philosophy may ultimately be what costs him the United job.

In defending his contentious 3-4-2-1 system, Amorim is right to say United played with four at the back under his immediate predecessors and the players still struggled.