Ruben Amorim and Ange Postecoglou
Ruben Amorim and Ange Postecoglou have been compared to each other this week
Intransigence could be a theme of the build-up to Manchester United's fixture at Tottenham this weekend. It was a battle between two head coaches who, on paper, are totally wedded to one plan.
As Ange Postecoglou has said of his Tottenham side, "It's just who we are, mate," while Ruben Amorim said of his 3-4-2-1 system at Old Trafford, "I have to sell my idea, I don’t have another one."
So, whose idea will come out on top this weekend? Postecoglou has refused to compromise on his Tottenham ideals despite an injury crisis that has left him down to the bare bones. Amorim has played 3-4-2-1 for every minute of his 20 games in charge so far. Neutrals will tune in on Sunday not because these teams are unpredictable but because they are exactly the opposite.
You know what you're getting with Spurs, which is usually weekly chaos. United's performance level fluctuates a little more, but the system's predictability is only matched by the team's unpredictability. Absolutely anything could happen this weekend.
For Tottenham, the prize is moving above United. The fact that this is 14th vs 13th is a simple statistic to suggest that being wedded to one clear philosophy might not be the guarantee of success club owners think it is, even if it is in vogue at the moment.
But while Postecoglou is surely close to the endpoint at Spurs, Amorim is only getting going at Old Trafford. Are they kindred spirits headed for glorious success or ignominious failure, or are there crucial differences?
When Amorim began an answer to a question on that theme at his pre-match press conference on Friday with the words, "I'm a huge fan of Postecoglou," it seemed like they were from the same modern school of philosophy over adaptability.
The difference is that the Australian is 80 games into his Spurs career, and we have seen all he has to offer. Amorim is at the start of his United journey, and although he looks like he's not for turning at the moment, the answer that followed on Friday suggests there might be more nuances to him than he believes there are in his counterpart this weekend.
"I’m from a different culture, I’m Portuguese and all the Portuguese coaches can adapt," he said.
"The simple thing is I use one system in the moment because I believe if you work on that system you can play in different systems at the same time, so that is the idea.
"But we are not winning games and I can understand the connection between me and Ange. We have the same problems. In my opinion, with all due respect, I am in a bigger club with bigger pressure so I understand the pressure and I think it’s important for the coach to follow all of these principles."
It's not difficult to read between the lines of that answer and believe there is a part of Amorim that is questioning Postecoglou there. He is keen to accentuate his adaptability, with a hint that we will see more of it further down the line.
Nobody can realistically dispute Amorim's claim that he is at a bigger club with more pressure. He sounded almost begrudging about being grouped with and compared to Postecoglou.
In a way, this has raised the stakes for the Portuguese this weekend rather than his team. Tottenham will love to turn some of those comments on their head, and Postecoglou might be keen to show he isn't quite as predictable as many make out.
But this is a comparison we can only make when Amorim has had the time in charge that Postecoglou has. United are set up in 3-4-2-1 every week now, albeit they occasionally shift to a back four in possession. Those more subtle in-game changes that Amorim hints at will take time to develop.
If, in 60 games' time, they aren't obvious, then he might well be in the same category as Postecoglou. But the United head coach clearly doesn't expect to be in that group for long.