Tottenham Hotspur take on Manchester United in the Premier League on Sunday.
The two clubs have both had a really poor season so far. Manchester United are 13th in the table right now, while Spurs are a place and two points below them.
Ange Postecoglou is under pressure at Tottenham, and if things don’t improve in the coming months, he could face the sack.
Before the Australian was appointed, Ruben Amorim was considered by Spurs as a replacement for Antonio Conte in 2023.
The Portuguese tactician turned Tottenham down then for one key reason.
Why Ruben Amorim rejected Tottenham manager job in 2023
Conte had one of the biggest post-match rants in football history following Tottenham’s draw against Southampton in March 2023.
Everybody who heard him speak that day knew that he wouldn’t stay on as the manager, and eight days later, he left by mutual consent.
Tottenham were on the lookout for a replacement at the time, and Amorim, who was still at Sporting CP then, was viewed as a target for Spurs.
However, the now-Manchester-United head coach decided to snub Spurs and stay at Sporting – because of Daniel Levy.
A Bola in Portugal (print edition, March 29, 2023, page 04) revealed that Levy’s ‘tempestuous temper’ was the reason why Amorim did not want to become Tottenham’s manager.
Then, Levy handed the job to Cristian Stellini, but he was shown the door soon after. Ryan Mason finished the campaign as Tottenham’s manager that season.
Amorim’s Sporting finished fourth in the Portuguese league in 2022/23, but they won the title in the following campaign.
Head Coach Ruben Amorim of Sporting Clube de Portugal gestures during the Liga Portugal Betclic match between FC Famalicao and Sporting Clube de Po...
Photo by Diogo Cardoso/Getty Images
Tottenham could have an edge over Man United on Sunday
The game on Sunday is a huge one for both Tottenham and Manchester United.
A win for Spurs will see them leapfrog the Red Devils in the table, while Amorim’s side could go five points clear if they manage to get a victory.
The good thing for Spurs is that they have already beaten United on two occasions this season – once in the Premier League and once in the Carabao Cup.
To add to that, Spurs will have a few of their key players returning from injury. James Maddison, Guglielmo Vicario, Timo Werner, Destiny Udogie and Brennan Johnson are all expected to be back.
That should give them the edge over Manchester United, who have won just two away games under Amorim so far in the Premier League.