Ruben Amorim laughed off Sean Dyche’s claim that he could improve on Manchester United’s record by playing a 4-4-2 formation.
Amorim’s United will visit Dyche’s Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon, and the Portuguese will have Dyche’s dig fresh in the memory.
"I may get hammered for it,” said Dyche on the No Tippy Tappy Football podcast in August. “But I bet I could win more games with that squad playing a 4-4-2.”
Amorim saw the funny side of the comment, brushing it off before reaffirming his commitment to his preferred 3-4-2-1 system.
“Maybe it's true, if we play in a 4-4-2 we win more games,” he chuckled.
“I always say I have a way of playing that is going to take a while, and then in the future it is going to be better, so we don’t know that.
“I can look at Sean Dyche as a manager, then as a pundit. If you are a pundit and you don’t say very strong things, I don’t want to watch you.
“I am the same, so I can understand that it is a completely different job. I know that Sean Dyche is really smart and he knows how to play the game.
“And he also understands that one thing is when we are seeing the game and talking about the game, another thing is to coach the game. So I understand that. I have nothing to say. I just want to win the next one.”
Dyche set the record straight later in the afternoon, though, making clear that he felt Amorim deserved the time to get United on song.
He told the press: "I didn't question him as a person and I would never do that. Clickbait kills anything. I equally said I want managers to be given time and I said he should get half a season to continue what he's doing.
"I have maximum respect for all managers. I'm pretty sure his media department will have made that clear to him.
"The basics may have worked better was my suggestion and they have changed their style so fair play to him. Not necessarily their beliefs but their style.
"They are playing quicker forward and longer, a bit tighter in getting back into their shape. That's management, that's coaching.
"That doesn't mean he's changed his whole philosophy, it's adapting to what's in front of him so fair play to him. He's shown a bit of flexibility and they're getting results."
