Man Utd 'sense Ruben Amorim will resign' as dressing room cracks show

Manchester United figures believe head coach Ruben Amorim could resign as early as next week after his reign went from bad to worse on Wednesday night, according to reports. The Red Devils suffered one of the most humiliating defeats in their history against Grimsby Town, crashing out of the Carabao Cup second round.

The League Two club blew Amorim's side away in the first half at a rapturous Blundell Park, leading 2-0 at the break. They went on to recover from a United fightback and triumph 12-11 on penalties, during which the Portuguese head coach cowered in his dugout, refusing to watch the 26 spot-kicks.

Amorim is under increasing pressure, having followed an unfortunate 1-0 defeat to Arsenal on the Premier League opening weekend with a disappointing 1-1 draw at Fulham.

He stirred speculation with his comments after United's shock cup exit on Wednesday, claiming that "something had to change" and that his players "spoke loudly" about what they wanted.

Many took his reaction as a suggestion that he could walk away before INEOS sack a second manager in less than a year.

And, according to the Guardian, there is a feeling among some at United that he may resign as early as next week rather than change his methods.

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It's claimed that the Red Devils have no plans to part ways with Amorim, but there is a sense that his stubbornness could see him quit if results don't improve.

The report adds that some players in the United dressing room are starting to question Amorim's tactics and man-management.

It is a familiar noise when a manager is nearing the end of their tenure, but no one could have expected it to be this loud just three matches into the 40-year-old's first full season.

Even after Amorim's disastrous introduction last term, morale was high at United following a positive pre-season and the opening of the club's new £50million training facility.

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What felt like the start of a new era has quickly descended into all-too-familiar calamity that could worsen with a bad result against Burnley on Saturday.

United host the newly-promoted side at Old Trafford ahead of the September international break.

Three points could elevate Amorim's side to as high as fourth in the Premier League table, offering slight reason for optimism heading into the two weeks off.

Anything less, and the writing that may already be on the wall would get a lot bigger and only add to the uncertainty over the Portuguese head coach's future.