£113m FFP hole, Ratcliffe decision, Amorim budget - Man United January transfer reality

Manchester United are not in good shape on the field and life off it seems just as bleak.

Supporters might be experiencing the January blues following some excruciating performances and results over the Christmas period. Since that epic smash-and-grab win against Manchester City, the club have lost four games on the bounce.

First was the bizarre 4-3 League Cup quarter-final defeat to Tottenham Hotspur before awful defeats to Bournemouth, Wolves and Newcastle United in the Premier League. As a result, the team finds itself 14th in the table, some 13 points off the top four and just seven above the relegation zone.

United are in desperate need of reinforcement but look unlikely to get any this month amid Financial Fair Play [FFP] rules, unless current options are moved on. The picture for January looks somewhat grim when finances are assessed.

In September, United announced they had recorded a cash loss of £113million for the year ending June, despite recording record revenues. Club chiefs indicated at the time they were confident that they would not breach finance regulations.

Of course, United had Champions League football last season but this time around they find themselves in the Europa League and thus will receive significantly less prize money. The increase in group stage games and a potential knockout play-off round will help matchday revenue.

But with United surely set to miss out on Champions League football for next season, the knock-on effect will continue. In the meantime, Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been on a cost-cutting exercise.

Ratcliffe has made a number of unpopular decisions at United since his arrival amid his bid to cut costs. The sanctioning of 250 staff job redundancies went down like a lead balloon, as