Manchester United secured a much-needed victory against Burnley on Saturday but it may not be enough to keep Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford.
United snatched a dramatic 3-2 win over the Clarets, with captain Bruno Fernandes scoring a penalty in the seventh minute of added time after Jaidon Anthony was penalised for pulling Amad Diallo's shirt inside the area.
Referee Sam Barrott initially waved away United's penalty appeals before reversing his decision after reviewing it on the pitchside monitors.
It was not the only controversial moment in the match involving VAR, with Burnley forward Lyle Foster also having a goal ruled out for a marginal offside call earlier in the second half.
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Those decisions sparked a furious post-match response from Burnley boss Scott Parker, who said interventions from the VAR risked turning football into "the most sterile game there is".
Nevertheless, it was a crucial win for United head coach Amorim, who already finds himself under huge pressure just three weeks into the new Premier League season after a shock defeat to Grimsby Town in the second round of the Carabao Cup.
Ruben Amorim concerns raised by Man Utd chiefs
Despite the win over Burnley, there are growing fears at Old Trafford that former Sporting boss Amorim – who only joined United in November as replacement for Erik ten Hag – could walk away from the job.
The Mirror report that United chiefs 'remain steadfast in their belief that Amorim can turn around the team' but are increasingly concerned about his 'erratic' behaviour on the touchline – with the coach unable to watch his side's penalty shootout defeat to Grimsby on Wednesday night.
Some senior players are also reported to have become 'disillusioned' with Amorim's refusal to deviate from his preferred 3-4-3 formation despite disappointing results – with the Portuguese winning just 18 of his 46 matches in charge.
He is also said to have alienated others by going public with criticism 'they feel should be kept in-house'.
The Mirror report that United chiefs are worried Amorim could quit his job, with The Guardian reporting earlier this week that a decision could be made over his future as early as the upcoming international break, which begins on Monday.
It's claimed 'alarm bells started ringing in the boardroom in May' when Amorim said he would be prepared to leave United without seeking a compensation package if he felt it was the right decision.
What has Ruben Amorim said about his future?
Amorim has already admitted that he has at times considered quitting and occasionally "hates" his own players.
After the Grimsby defeat Amorim said "something has to change" and that "my players spoke really loud about what they want".
Asked about those remarks ahead of facing Burnley, Amorim added: "Every time that we have in the future one defeat like that, I'm going to be like that.
"I'm going to say that sometimes I hate my players, sometimes I love my players, sometimes I want to defend my players.
"This is my way of doing things and I'm going to be like that. In that moment I was so frustrated and annoyed. And I know you have a lot of experienced people talking about the way I should perform with the media, to be more constant, to be more calm. I'm not going to be like that."
He later played down the chances of him leaving United in the coming weeks.
"I'm not thinking about a turning point. I've had this conversation with you guys like 10 times. It's day by day. I’m happy. We returned a little bit to our level today," he said following the win over Burnley.
"If you take away Wednesday, we are more consistent in the performance compared to last year. That's a good thing."
Topics: Manchester United, Ruben Amorim, Premier League, Football, Burnley
Rory O'Callaghan