Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim says he shares a connection with Tottenham Hotspur manager Ange Postecoglou because of their unwavering commitment to their football ideologies and tactical resolve, irrespective of outside criticism.
The two teams, who face off on Sunday at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, find themselves in unfamiliar territory in the Premier League standings with United 13th and Spurs 14th, two points behind Amorim’s side.
Both managers have tried to get their players to adopt a specific style of play, which has often cost them at the back as they leak goals, and Amorim believes they have the same problem as both remain steadfast with their tactics.
“I’m a huge fan of Ange Postecoglou. I’m from a different culture. I’m Portuguese, and all the Portuguese coaches can adapt. I adapt,” Amorim told reporters on Friday.
“The simple thing is that I use one system at the moment because I believe if you work on that system, you can play in different systems at the same time. That is my idea. But we are not winning games, and I understand the connection between me and Ange. We have the same problems.
“In my opinion, with all due respect, I am at a bigger club with bigger pressure. I understand the connection, and he’s a really important coach to follow his principles.”
Spurs have won only two league games since the start of December and were knocked out of both domestic cups in the span of three days last week. Amorim said he sympathises with Postecoglou.
“Of course, especially because he is a good guy. He’s a very good coach. He wants to play football in the right way. For me, that is a good thing,” Amorim said.
“When we choose this profession, there are a lot of good things, but then you have to feel that pressure when you don’t win.”
Matchweek 24
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With Marcus Rashford and Antony going out on loan in January, United did not bring in any attacking reinforcements, and Amorim said they would have to let players go before they could bring more in.
“Here it’s simple: To do something, we need to sell players. My focus is to prepare the game. We cannot do it now. The window is closed,” he said.
“We need to focus on the games we have, and then in the summer, we’ll see.”
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