Ruben Amorim has said it would be “naive” to think he will be allowed to continue as Manchester United manager if the team’s poor results continue.

Amorim’s job is under intense scrutiny ahead of Sunderland‘s visit to Old Trafford on Saturday.

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The Portuguese coach has won just nine of his 33 Premier League matches since his appointment 10 months ago.

And he accepts that it will be “impossible” for co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe to continue to show faith if United’s form doesn’t turn around soon.

“Nobody here is naive,” Amorim told a news conference on Friday. “We understand that we need results to continue the project.

“We will reach a point that is impossible for everyone because this is a very big club with a lot of sponsors, with two owners. So it’s hard, the balance is really hard.”

United will look to extend their unbeaten run against newly promoted teams against Sunderland this weekend.

Their last defeat was against Watford in November 2021 — a result which prompted the club to sack Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Four of Amorim’s nine league wins have come against promoted teams — Southampton, Leicester and Ipswich last season and Burnley this term.

However, Sunderland pose a significant threat having adapted well to the Premier League, earning 11 points from their first six games. It’s the best start for a club coming up from the Championship since West Ham in 2012.

Ahead of meeting Regis Le Bris’ side, Amorim is facing more calls to change his 3-4-3 system, but he has again insisted he will not switch to a different formation.

“I’m the manager of the club, a big club,” he said. “And it’s the media that is going to dictate what I’m going to do? It cannot be. It’s not possible to sustain that.

“My biggest problem is for my players to believe in you guys [the media] when you say the problem of our team is the system.

“I get crazy about that because I can see the team.

“This team play in a different system for many years. And you were talking about the lack of identity, no idea, whatever. So it’s not the system. It’s the small details, the way we play the game.”

Defeat to Sunderland would ramp up the pressure on Amorim even further ahead of the international break.

There’s been speculation the 40-year-old could quit before he’s sacked if the poor results continue, but he says only the club’s hierarchy will decide his future.

“No, that is a decision of the board,” said Amorim. “I cannot do that. Sometimes I have that feeling and losing is hard.

“It’s so frustrating when you create the momentum, go to the next game, something happens. That feeling sometimes hurts me a lot. Also the players and especially the staff here. But that is not my decision.

“And I think it would be really hard to leave if I don’t do everything to follow my career here.”

England flexed their muscles in their Women’s World Cup opener with a ruthless 10-wicket demolition of South Africa in Guwahati on Friday.

After bowling out the Proteas for a paltry 69 in just 20.4 overs, England’s openers Tam­my Beaumont and Amy Jones made light work of the chase, cantering home in 14.1 overs.

Electing to bowl first, England rolled the dice early by tossing the new ball to spin, a move captains often shy away from in the power play.

But left-arm tweaker Linsey Smith turned out to be the ace up their sleeve, exploiting a tacky surface that had South Africa groping in the dark.

“To get that start was very special. I only found out yesterday that I was opening the bowling and I was excited for the challenge. The conditions suited me well,” said Smith.

It was just Smith’s fifth ODI, but the 30-year-old is no stranger to international cricket, having been part of England’s T20 side since 2018.

Now a permanent fixture in the 50-over team, her willingness to bowl in the danger zone of the power play could be a trump card for England going forward in this campaign.

Smith struck in each of her first three overs and was unlucky not to bag a fourth when a stumping chance off Sinalo Jafta went begging.

Jafta clung on grimly for 22, the lone South African to reach double figures in a sorry tale of collapse.

It was the Proteas’ third lowest total in ODIs and their worst against England.

The chase was little more than a formality, though Jones survived a let-off on 31 when Masabata Klaas spilled a return catch.

She finished unbeaten on 40 with Beaumont on 21 not out.

“Not the way we wanted to start the tournament. We’ve shown resilience in the past and we’ll bounce back,” South African skipper Laura Wolvaardt insisted as her batters were left searching for answers.

England’s dominance was such that Heather Knight, marking her 150th ODI appearance wasn’t required to bat or bowl as her team-mates were so dominant against South Africa.

She became only the second player from England to feature in 150 women’s ODIs.

The emphatic win vaulted England to the top of the points table with all eight teams now having played one game each.

SOUTH AFRICA:

L. Wolvaardt c&b Smith 5

T. Brits b Smith 5

S. Luus b Bell 2

M. Kapp b Smith 4

A. Bosch lbw b Sciver-Brunt 6

S. Jafta b Ecclestone 22

C. Tryon c Capsey b Sciver-Brunt 2

N. de Klerk c Knight b Ecclestone 3

M. Klaas b Dean 3

A. Khaka not out 6

N. Mlaba b Dean 3

EXTRAS (W-8) 8

TOTAL (all out, 20.4 overs) 69

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-9 (Wolvaardt), 2-12 (Brits), 3-17 (Luus), 4-19 (Kapp), 5-31 (Bosch), 6-38 (Tryon), 7-48 (de Klerk), 8-60 .(Klaas), 9-60 (Jafta)

BOWLING: Bell 4-0-24-1 (1w), Smith 4-2 7-3, Sciver-Brunt 3-1-5-2 (1w), Ecclestone 6-2-19-2 (1w), Dean 3.4-0-14-2 (1w)

ENGLAND:

T. Beaumont not out 21

A. Jones not out 40

EXTRAS (LB-3, W-9) 12

TOTAL (for no wicket, 14.1 overs) 73

DID NOT BAT: H. Knight, N. Sciver-Brunt, S. Dunkley, E. Lamb, A. Capsey, C. Dean, S. Ecclestone, L. Smith, L. Bell

BOWLING: Kapp 4-0-13-0, Tryon 3-0-17-0 (2w), Klaas 4-0-18-0 (3w), Mlaba 2-1-9-0, Khaka 1.1-0-13-0

RESULT: England won by 10 wickets.

PLAYER-OF-THE-MATCH: Linsey Smith