Ruben Amorim has shown no signs of being affected by Sean Dyche's recent comments about his managerial abilities at Manchester United. The Portuguese coach, who took charge of the Red Devils in November last year, has been focusing on turning around the team's fortunes rather than engaging in any public disputes with former managers.
United will face Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon, marking Dyche's first home game as the manager of the City Ground since he replaced Ange Postecoglou. This is Dyche's first managerial role since being let go from Everton earlier this year. His remarks about Amorim came during an appearance on the Stick to Football podcast in May, when United were struggling through a challenging 2024-25 Premier League season that ended with them finishing in 15th place.
Dyche made his comments while reflecting on the current state of affairs at Old Trafford, suggesting that if he were in charge, he could have achieved better results with the same squad. He emphasized that a more straightforward approach, such as playing a 4-4-2 formation, might lead to more wins.
“Maybe he [Amorim] is right, but I think if we played 4-4-2, we might win more games,” Dyche said. “But I always say I have a way of playing games that is going to take a while then in the future, it is going to be better. So we don’t know that.”
Dyche reiterated similar sentiments during an appearance on No Tippy Tappy Football in August, stating, “I may get hammered for it, but I bet I could win more games with that squad playing a 4-4-2.” Despite these claims, Amorim has remained focused on his own strategies and has not publicly responded to Dyche’s criticisms.
Since taking over, Amorim managed just seven wins from his 27 league games in charge, a performance that led to widespread criticism. However, the recent upturn in form has seen United secure three consecutive victories against Sunderland, Liverpool, and Brighton, lifting them to sixth place in the league table—level with Manchester City and ahead of champions Liverpool. His controversial 3-4-3 formation has also started to show promise.
Ahead of the match against Dyche's Nottingham Forest, Amorim addressed the media and acknowledged that there is no ill-feeling towards the Forest manager over his comments. He recognized that pundits often make strong statements in their roles, even if they are not directly involved in coaching.
“I understand that it is a different job,” Amorim said at a press conference on Thursday. “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 it is a completely different job.”
He also praised Dyche’s knowledge of the game, noting that the former Burnley manager understands the difference between analyzing football and actually coaching a team. “I know Sean Dyche is really smart and he knows how to play the game,” Amorim added. “And he also understands it is one thing when we are seeing the game and talking about the game and it is another thing to coach a team. So I understand it, I have nothing to say and just want to win the next one.”
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