Manchester United could be on the hunt for a new manager by the start of November as Ruben Amorim's tenure plunges into chaos.
The Portuguese coach is the sixth permanent manager drafted in at Old Trafford since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013 and he could bow out with shortest tenure.
United's home clash with Sunderland on October 4 is his 50th game in charge - with David Moyes dismissed after 51 in April 2014 - and the club are preparing for a key call on his future.
If Amorim is dismissed before his one-year anniversary in mid-November, the club could be forced into a £10m payout, which Sir Jim Ratcliffe is determined to avoid.
Amorim was previously reported to have been given the three games between the September and October international breaks to 'save his job' with just three points picked up so far.
That could now be stretched to the three splitting the October and November windows which would take him beyond the 'Moyes mark' and significantly reduce how much United would need to pay him.
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Amorim's current deal runs until June 2027, with the option for another 12 months, but the picture looks bleak as criticism rains down on the former Sporting CP boss.
As per the latest from The I, the club are more concerned Amorim will resign before they make a call on whether to sack him, based on the intense level of scrutiny he is under.
Sources claim Ratcliffe is still keen to give the 40-year-old a full season to prove himself but other club insiders indicate he could quit before being asked to leave.
Amorim is keen to preserve his own reputation, with just 18 wins from 49 games and nine from 33 in the Premier League, at a current win percentage of 37%.
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