In a surprising admission, the Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim admitted his team faces bigger challenges this season compared to their rivals Manchester City.
Despite City’s recent struggles, which have seen them win just once in their last 10 games in all competitions, Amorim believes United’s problems are bigger.
“They are so good at what they do that they can change that momentum at any time,” Amorim told Sky Sports. “It’s a very strong team with many years of collaboration. They gained a lot but also lost a lot. We have a bigger problem because we are working on simple things but we want to win like Manchester City.
The comments come ahead of the highly anticipated Manchester derby on Sunday, where both teams will look to bounce back from their recent poor form.
United have lost their last two Premier League matches against Arsenal And Nottingham Forestbut managed to secure a victory in the Europa League against Victoria Plzen on Thursday, giving Amorim their third victory in six games since arriving at Old Trafford.
Amorim, who picked up his first scalp against Pep Guardiola’s City in November as Sporting boss, believes the previous encounter has no bearing on the upcoming derby. Instead, he is eager to see how his players react in the high-pressure atmosphere of a Manchester derby.
“We can’t use much from that (Sporting) game, but it helped us understand the game and feel it really tight,” Amorim said. “We have so much to do, not just in the game. But we look at how we are going to play. I’m excited to see how our players behave in this kind of game – to learn a lot about our players.
With little time left for Amorim to implement significant changes, the United boss stressed the need for patience during the club’s transition period.
“It should be like a preseason, where I get to know my players but we do it competitively,” Amorim said. “You always have surprises. You get a feel for a player and you get a surprise or two in a good and bad way.
With both United and City looking to return to form, the upcoming derby promises to be a crucial test for both teams and their respective managers.
