Ruben Amorim Addresses Criticism from Sean Dyche
Ruben Amorim has clarified that he does not take the criticism from Sean Dyche personally, especially since Dyche was serving as a pundit at the time of the comments. The new Nottingham Forest manager made some bold claims last summer on two podcasts, stating that he would win more games than Amorim at Manchester United using a 4-4-2 formation instead of the Portuguese manager's 3-4-2-1 system.
As the two managers prepare to face each other on Saturday, Amorim expressed his understanding of Dyche's perspective. He said: “First of all, maybe it's true if we play 4-4-2 we would win more games, but I always said that I have a way of playing that is going to take a while. In the future it's going to be better. So we don't know that.”
Amorim also acknowledged Dyche’s role as a pundit and emphasized that it's part of the job to make strong statements. “I can look at Sean Dyche as a manager and 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'm the same. So I can understand that it's a completely different job. I know that Sean Dyche is really smart and he knows how to play the game.”
He added: “And he also understands that one thing is when we are seeing the game and talking about the game, the other thing is to coach a team. So I understand that, I have nothing to say, I just want to win the next game.”
Preparing for a Tough Match Against Brighton
Amorim also commented on Dyche’s first two games in charge of Nottingham Forest. “I watched against Porto, I watched against Bournemouth, the style of play is similar with different characteristics,” he noted.
He warned that the upcoming match against Brighton will be different. “So we need to be prepared for a different game against Brighton. We had space to play and we are not going to have that space. You need to understand that we are not being the same team away and at home, so we need to improve the way we control the environment.”
Amorim highlighted the importance of maintaining composure during away games. “Every tackle is a big moment for the opponent's fans, so we need to play better away. We are prepared for a very tough match.”
Challenges Ahead with Key Players Leaving
Amorim admitted that Manchester United will face challenges when Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo head to the African Cup of Nations in December and January. However, he sees this as an opportunity for fringe players to step up.
“We will have time to suffer,” he said. “We are going to struggle a little bit, but we already knew it's going to be an opportunity. When I watch the training, there are players that should be playing, but it's hard with one game to take some players from the team, because they are doing well also during the training in games. So other players are going to have the opportunity to help us.”
He believes that the team can maintain its momentum despite the changes. “They are understanding the way we want to play, so if we are improving on that, the change of characteristics is not going to change the idea or the momentum of the team. But let's use Amad and Bryan in these games and we will see in general.”