Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim addressed the media in the build-up to Sunday’s Premier League derby against Manchester City.
During a comprehensive chat with Sky Sports, Amorim warned United not to take City’s rough patch lightly, insisting they could get back on the rails any time.
“They won a lot, they lost a lot also in the Champions League, but they’re so good at what they do, they can change this momentum any time,” the 39-year-old said.
“I think we have a bigger problem because we’re still working on simple things, but we want to win.
“Both teams are not living the greatest moments of the season, but it’s always a derby, and we want to win it.”
After a trophy-laden stint at Sporting CP, Amorim finds a different climate at Old Trafford, insisting his project in Manchester is still in its infancy.
“It’s a different situation here, I’m looking just at Manchester United, and we have so much to do.
“We’re thinking not just about the game but everything else, the way we play.
“I’m excited to see the behaviour of our players in this kind of game, to learn a lot about our players, so it’s completely different.
“But it’s the same when you look at the passion, the way people in the city live for the derby, so in this regard, it’s the same.”
Sporting director Hugo Viana and Amorim have a strong bond, having laid the groundwork for Sporting CP’s meteoric rise in recent years.
However, their career paths have taken opposite trajectories, with Viana on the verge of replacing Txiki Begiristain as Man City’s director of football next season.
Though the two friends will be in the opposite camps, Amorim admits it’ll be impossible for them to be rivals outside the pitch.
He added: “It’s on the field because it’s impossible to be a rival outside the pitch with Viana as he was so important in my life.
“I think he’s the one responsible for me being here at Man Utd for the way he helped me, supported me in really hard moments at Sporting.
“It will be fun, he knows I want to win, he will not talk to me during the game, after the game and before the game.
“But then the next day, we will be friends as always.”
Amorim’s still trying to implement his game plan at Man Utd after taking over from Erik ten Hag.
It’s been less than a month since his arrival, yet the Portuguese manager has had enough time to convey his ideas to the squad.
Asked whether he’s satisfied with the early progress, Amorim replied: “More or less. You always have surprises.
“You think you have an understanding of a player and then you have one or two surprises in a good way or a bad way.
“But I already know that it’s a big job. I know it will take time, I know everybody’s saying that, but forget me as a coach, the club needs time.
“That’s something important that everybody has to understand and we have to focus on every detail, so it’s not just the result.
“We want to win, but in everything else, we have to improve a lot at a fast pace.”
Amorim used to rotate his line-up frequently at Sporting, and he hasn’t changed his approach at United, even though the results haven’t always gone his way.
“That’s the balance that we need because you have to understand that this is a results game.
“For me, the idea is very clear in my head, and it’s not just focused on the results.
“We already understand what we want to do with the team. We are at the point that’s very stressful because everybody wants to play, but we have to take risks during the game, and we’re doing that.”
Amorim couldn’t have picked a worse moment to join the club.
Trapped in a busy winter schedule, he’s had very little wriggle room, yet he’s reportedly close to establishing his preferred XI.
“It’s hard, we had like 40 minutes in training with the whole squad in these 20 days, we had three trainings together, and it’s nothing.
“Then, we’ll have another 20 days where one part of the team is recovering and the other part is training, so it’s a moment when you have to train without training.
“When you don’t have time to train, you cannot put the idea in their head and their body.
“When I say in the body, it’s something natural, the way we react, run back, everything needs training.
“But we are improving, I can see it. I think it’s not the most popular think to say, but against Nottingham [Forest] we were so much better than against Everton.
“When you look at the results, it doesn’t make sense, but that’s the feeling.”