Sir Jim Ratcliffe made his first appearance at Old Trafford this year on Thursday night and will have come away with some facts that are no longer in dispute.

Firstly, bringing in Ruben Amorim was the right call. Results may not have changed just yet, but at least there is something that fans can hang their hat onto. Secondly, that Amorim needs to be helped in the near future with no additions. If that is not going to be in January, then it has to be in the summer.

Third and finally, Amad has to be part of that future. Only the Ivorian could once again come out of that match with even a smidgen of respect, having single-handedly dragged United over the finish line to avoid a disastrous defeat. Not for the first time, United fans will have left Old Trafford thanking their lucky stars that they have Amad. But for how long will they be able to do that?

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Amad is at the early stages of his professional career, so tying him down to a contract until 2030 recently was a smart bit of business. However, if results do not improve tremendously, then that contract will not guarantee Amad's loyalty but will rather just ensure that United get a fair price for his talents.

You see, United have a couple of factors playing against them at present. They are currently, for all intents and purposes, skint. MEN Sport understands that United need to sell to buy in the January transfer window and there is no budget to purchase players. And, while they managed to avoid punishment from the Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) this week, they are not out of the woods yet.

To come back fighting in the Premier League and improve their finances, they need to ensure Champions League football or, at the very least, Europa League football. Both of these objectives seem like pipe dreams through the Premier League currently and their best hope of qualifying for either competition is to win the Europa League or FA Cup, neither of which are small feats.

But if United continue to drift along at the rate they are doing, Amad will outgrow the club. It is a harsh reality, but that is the truth of the matter.

Even when United were in their pomp under Sir Alex Ferguson, the Reds could not stop the likes of David Beckham or Cristiano Ronaldo having their heads turned. If things remain as they are, it would not need to be a club of Real Madrid's standards needed to lure Amad away.

This may all seem doom and gloom at the moment but there are positives to be had. Firstly, Amad is happy at the club - he would not have signed a new deal if he wasn't.

Amorim also seems like the manager who could, finally, create some positive momentum at Old Trafford. But the warning signs for Ratcliffe are there to see and his prize asset may look to leave if United do not grow with him.