Ruben Amorim is confident Manchester United are a better team now than they were nine months ago when they beat rivals Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
The Portuguese manager hasn’t had much to shout about during his 11-month stint at Old Trafford—with one positive result often followed up a disastrous display in the next game—and there’s been significant upheaval in a bid to turn things around for the former 13-time Premier League winners.
Amorim has been backed heavily in the transfer market, both in terms of incomings and outgoings, and faces the ultimate challenge of his credentials on Sunday when he pits his wits against Pep Guardiola and City.
Last season, Amorim sensationally came out on top at the Etihad Stadium—Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo supplying the dramatic late goals to earn a 2–1 win. That, however, is one of only eight wins in 30 Premier League outings for Amorim.
There’s cautious optimism that United can repeat the trick against a City side who are also in transition. Guardiola spent £150 million on new faces this summer in a bid to reinvigorate a side who meekly surrendered their Premier League crown last season, and they’ve made a disappointing start to the new campaign too—defeats to Tottenham Hotspur and Brighton & Hove Albion not what Guardiola would have expected three games in.
Ruben Amorim’s Premier League Record
Amorim is under no illusions that City remain one of the division’s best when on form, but he was keen to stress the progress he feels United have also made in that time, despite their indifferent results.
“It's a top team with the best coach in the league,” Amorim said. “A team that is really hard to imagine how they are going to play. They change all the time. But we are prepared for that.
“And we believe in our team. And I have that feeling. So it will be a very good game. We know what to do, we have one more training. The table, in the moment, it doesn't matter. I'm just worried about maintaining the same principles. The way we fight for every ball. The small details that sometimes we drop a little bit. Not in these games.
“So I'm more comfortable in these kinds of games. But we will be ready against a very, very good team.
“I think we are a better team. Any aspect, if you see the data, we are a different team. We are ready to play the game. But we have to show onside. So I think we are a better team.”
Amorim Makes Man Utd Academy Vow
There’s also been huge focus on the future of Kobbie Mainoo, who was keen to explore a loan move away from the club when the summer transfer window was open in order to earn more regular minutes.
Ultimately, United decided to hold onto Mainoo, who is one of only four academy players left in the first-team squad—one of those is 39-year-old goalkeeper Tom Heaton, while the other two, Tyler Fredicson and Chido Obi, are very much on the periphery and are yet to make their mark.
The Red Devils historically have an unparalelled commitment to youth, including an academy graduate in every matchday squad since October 1937—an unfathomable stretch of 88 years and 4,326 games—and all hopes are now pinned on Mainoo to continue that trend.
Amorim remarked he didn’t want to be the one to break the streak either, telling reporters: “I don't want to be the guy that broke that record. If you see the past of Manchester United, it's built on kids that grew up here and stayed here for a long time. I think that should be our goal in the future. So I will try to maintain that.”
READ THE LATEST MAN UTD NEWS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND MORE
This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Any Aspect’: Ruben Amorim Makes Confident Man Utd Claim.
