Sir Alex Ferguson's ally reveals what Man Utd board will think about sacking Ruben Amorim

Ruben Amorim has been given assurances that his position as manager is secure. Following the international break, Manchester United face a challenging schedule with matches against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium and Chelsea at Old Trafford. Amorim will be keen for his team to climb the Premier League table after a less than stellar start to the season. Despite an opening weekend defeat to Arsenal, United showed signs of promise.

However, this optimism was short-lived as they squandered a one-goal lead to Fulham. Adding insult to injury, Grimsby Town knocked United out of the Carabao Cup second round in a nail-biting penalty shootout, winning 12-11.

Burnley nearly added to United's woes, but Bruno Fernandes emerged as the hero, scoring in stoppage time to secure United's first victory of the season. The 30 year old midfielder's successful penalty against Martin Dubravka relieved some pressure from his manager.

Despite the win over the newly-promoted side, uncertainty still surrounds Amorim's future at United. Mick Brown, who previously worked with Sir Alex Ferguson as chief scout, told Football Insider that the result wouldn't have significantly altered the boardroom's sentiment.

"A win is a win, at the end of the day," said Brown. "But I don't think anybody will take confidence in the manager from a 3-2 win when you've dominated the game and end up relying on a penalty in the last minute.

"It's not the type of result which makes you think they'll be able to build on it. That is what he needs to do; he needs to put a string of results together and maintain their form.

"They need to continue winning games, that's how you ease the pressure," added the former United official. Despite the mounting pressure, Brown doesn't believe Amorim will face the sack even if he suffers defeats against City and Chelsea.

The Red Devils are set to clash with Pep Guardiola's side at the Etihad Stadium on Sunday, September 14, before welcoming the Club World Cup champions to Old Trafford on Saturday, September 20. Currently, United sit ninth in the Premier League after three matches.

"After the international break, it's Man City and then they've got Chelsea after that, so it won't get easier," Brown warned. "It's very easy to start the season and before you know where you are, you've lost three or four games and all of a sudden you're tumbling down the table.

"At the moment, he's just papering over the cracks, but a win against Burnley isn't enough to convince people you've turned a corner. Those Man City and Chelsea games are going to be big for him.

"I don't necessarily think they'll sack him even if he loses those games, because at this point it's to be expected, but more questions will be asked."