Ruben Amorim has quipped that he will be dubbed “the new Alex Ferguson” if he manages to beat Manchester City in their upcoming Champions League clash.
Ahead of his official arrival at Manchester United as a replacement for the sacked Erik ten Hag, Amorim is set to take on Pep Guardiola’s men on Tuesday night before facing Braga on Sunday.
He will then head to Manchester on November 11 to take charge of the Red Devils.
Ahead of the meeting with City at Estádio José Alvalade, Amorim has acknowledged that he is aware of the brewing narratives courtesy of facing United’s cross-town rivals and the reigning Premier League champions.
He said in a press conference (via The Daily Mail), “The focus is on winning the game for Sporting, after that, the inferences that people will draw from this game are not important to me because they could be misleading.”
“If the result is negative, expectations will drop; if we win they will think that the new Alex Ferguson has arrived!”
“What interests me is to win, a good farewell in Alvalade, win in Braga and start a new adventure in Manchester. What I want is to leave the fans and my players happy for what is to come in the new season.”
Amorim refused to answer questions in English. Journalist Nathan Salt reveals that Sporting’s press officer insisted that the 39-year-old will have plenty of opportunities to do so once he departs for United.
The Portuguese tactician however noted that he delivers his training sessions at Sporting in English and is prepared to simplify his instructions once he gets to Old Trafford.
“My communication at the beginning will be simpler because it is in English.”
“I think I will have to spend three months… they say that is enough. The players will not be offended if I say that [instructions] are more basic. I give training sessions here in English.”
He added, “It will be a different adaptation, but my life will be the same. There is a way of playing, an idea. Communication will be more basic.”
Sporting vs. City is set to kick off at 21:00 and it’s a fixture that several United fans will certainly have an eye on.
Featured image Octavio Passos via Getty Images
Derick Kinoti
Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!
