Ruben Amorim claims even the Pope could not make him change Man Utd's formation despite having club's worst win record since Second World War

Manchester United’s latest crisis deepened after a humiliating 3-0 derby defeat to Manchester City left them with only four points from their first four league games. The loss followed an embarrassing Carabao Cup exit to League Two side Grimsby Town. Sir Jim Ratcliffe summoned Amorim for talks at Carrington, but the 40-year-old remains determined to stick to his tactical principles.

“No, no, no. No one, not even the Pope will change [me]," Amorim said when asked about changing his tactics. "This is my job, this is my responsibility, this is my life. So, I will not change that. There will be an evolution, but we need to make all the good steps. If I’m a player and I have a coach that, with a lot of pressure and all around the world they are saying ‘you need to change the system’ – if I change in this moment, the players will look at me in a different way.

"When you think about the impact that any decision is going to have on the team, everything is important. So, I will say the same thing: this will have to be an evolution. I’m doing things my way. Some guys do it in a different way, but it [results] will change. I hope to have the time to change, but they will change. I’m just trying to win games, trying to see what is the best option to win the next game.

"I’m trying to get the best connections to play better and, in the end, to win points. It’s about belief, confidence, aggression – it’s everything. And sometimes, what we call luck means we will play the game with more belief. Sometimes, with us, I feel the opposite. We are playing well, but something is going to go wrong in some moments. We need to change that, but it’s just with wins. I can do whatever, but if you look at the goals against City and Fulham, all these moments can be stopped. In all these moments, I think we can do better. It’s our fault. So we work on that during the week to improve.”

Amorim’s refusal to shift formation leaves him under huge pressure heading into another crunch week. Manchester United are languishing near the bottom of the table despite Ratcliffe and INEOS's £240 million summer spend, while unsettled high-profile players like Rashford, Sancho and Antony were offloaded. Unless results turn around quickly, the Portuguese coach risks losing both the dressing room and his job at Old Trafford.

Manchester United host Chelsea at Old Trafford on Saturday in what already feels like a must-win clash. Mason Mount and Matheus Cunha are available again, but Diogo Dalot remains sidelined. Another setback could push Amorim closer to the brink, with Ratcliffe’s patience running thin.