Jose Mourinho is once again under pressure to keep his job at Manchester United, with the Portuguese manager explaining that it would be "unacceptable" for his side to miss out on three points this weekend.
The Red Devils welcome Newcastle United to Old Trafford in Saturday's evening kick-off, with Mourinho labelling the match as a must-win encounter.
Midweek misery for Mourinho ahead of important Premier League clash
Tuesday's stalemate with Valencia in the Champions League was not the worst result Manchester United have suffered all season, but a home victory, as opposed to a 0-0 draw, would have vastly improved confidence levels in and around Old Trafford.
Mourinho's side has just four points from their three home league games this season, having beaten Leicester, lost out to Spurs and drawn with Wolves.
More worryingly, that Leicester victory arrived in their first game of the season, creating a hugely negative atmosphere around the red half of Manchester. With their blue neighbours, Manchester City, perched atop the Premier League table, time is slowly running out for Jose Mourinho.
Manchester United's worst start to the league in 29 years
Jose Mourinho's side has just ten points from their seven Premier League games, and sit 10th in the table between Wolves and Everton in 9th and 11th respectively. Such a miserable start has produced the club's worst start to a league campaign for almost 30 years, with the Red Devils now aiming to avoid five successive matches without a victory for just the second time since 1999.
Mourinho aims to correct this issue in the home tie against Newcastle. The club then travels to Chelsea and host Everton in the league, either side of a Champions League reunion with Cristiano Ronaldo, who joins his Juventus side on their trip to Old Trafford for matchday three of the competition.
On and off-field issues the problem with Mourinho
The BBC noted that the enigmatic Mourinho has not only been forced to deal with on-pitch struggles but has been the centre of a media storm following a reported training ground confrontation with midfielder Paul Pogba. Former players have been ruthless in their criticism of the club's manager in recent weeks, arguing that the once popular Mourinho is yet to find his preferred starting 11 and system this season.
Back on the field, and the current United players have now been accused of letting their manager down. Latest statistics show that the team registered just 58 sprints in their loss at West Ham, the lowest number recorded by an English top-flight club this campaign. Additionally, their average distance covered ranks 19th in the league this season, begging the question as to whether the players are fully committed to the task at hand, or whether there is a tactical decision at hand under the guidance of Jose Mourinho.
