Amorim told when 'crisis' will start at Man Utd and when pressure mounts on him

Ruben Amorim has been backed at Manchester United this summer, but former Red Devils defender Mikael Silvestre believes pressure will begin to mount if he gets off to a rocky start

Mikael Silvestre has told Ruben Amorim pressure will mount at Manchester United if he starts this season on a losing streak.

The Portuguese head coach guided his side to a 15th-placed Premier League finish last season, having taken over from Erik ten Hag in November. He has been backed to the tune of £200million this summer as United look to move up the table.

Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko have all arrived at Old Trafford to bolster Amorim's squad, and Silvestre, who made over 350 appearances for the Red Devils, believes his job could be in danger should they enter crisis mode after a poor start.

"I don't think [Ruben] Amorim is under any more pressure than any other manager in the Premier League, to be honest," Silvestre exclusively told Ladbrokes.

"I think they're all under pressure, it's just that he's at Manchester United, and they've now spent a lot of money. It's the size of the club, coupled with the interest from the media which makes it feel like there's more pressure there.

"There might be some pressure from the owners this season, but I would say that's the same with every other club. Amorim will go into this season under the same amount of pressure as every other manager; it's a fresh start.

"But, if you start losing three games in a row, and find yourself in that kind of form, that's when the crisis will start. That's when there's real pressure. For now, everyone is on zero points, they should all be treated the same and everyone will be judged against their objectives for the season."

On the back of some promising transfer activity, Silvestre thinks the aim for United this season should be European football, but perhaps not the Champions League.

"As for my expectations of the club this season, they need to be qualifying for Europe," he continued. "The Champions League isn't necessarily the target, but European football of any kind definitely is.

"Of course, everyone will always talk about the Champions League, but I just think that given the lack of consistency last season, I'm sceptical about their chances on that front."

The defender also feels that jumping from a 15th-placed finish to the top four could be too tall an order, and has predicted a more modest top-flight finish for his former club.

"As for where they finish in the table, I'd say maybe sixth or seventh? I don't see them in the top four or five," declared the Frenchman. "It's crazy saying that, to be honest. It just sounds so unfamiliar when we're talking about Manchester United, but that's the position the club is in right now, unfortunately.

"You know, you've got to be realistic about what the team has been achieving in recent years. OK, there are new players in place now, and a completely new dynamic. But in terms of dominating other teams and getting consistency, there are still a lot of question marks, in my opinion."