Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim spoke extremely highly of Pep Guardiola ahead of the 197th Manchester derby.
After a mixed start to the season, Ruben Amorim is under pressure with Manchester United sitting ninth in the Premier League table and already knocked out of the Carabao Cup.
Amorim has an impressive record against Guardiola from his time in Manchester and in Lisbon, and a win on Sunday afternoon would provide a huge boost in morale to both the dressing room and the fanbase.
But Guardiola also heads into Sunday’s match desperately needing three points after losing two of Manchester City’s three opening matches.
Ruben Amorim, Manager of Manchester United, embraces Pep Guardiola, Manager of Manchester City, after the Premier League match between Manchester City FC and Manchester United FC at Etihad Stadium on December 15, 2024
Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images
Ruben Amorim pays Pep Guardiola the ultimate compliment
Since being appointed last November, Amorim has stubbornly stuck to his tactics and philosophy, refusing to budge from his 3-4-2-1 system.
It has been one of Amorim’s biggest criticisms at United, but ultimately, Amorim is sticking to his promise to implement his style of play.
No manager has done that better than Guardiola has in recent years, and Amorim’s comments on the Spaniard showed his ultimate respect.
More United News
Ruben's #PL press conference gets under way soon ⏳
Watch him address the media on #MUTV from 13:30 BST 📲
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) September 12, 2025
View Tweet
In his pre-match press conference, Amorim said: “It’s a top team with the best coach in the league, a team that is really hard to imagine how they are going to play.
“We are prepared for that and we believe in our team. It will be a very good game, we know what to do, we have more training, and the table at the moment doesn’t matter.”
Amorim clearly believes Guardiola is the best manager in the Premier League, but he also made an interesting point on his tactics.
Ruben Amorim is sticking to his blueprint at Man United
Guardiola wasn’t an immediate success at City – he needed patience and support to implement his style of play and build his squad.
Amorim needs the same at United, and he is starting with a much more broken and chaotic foundation than Guardiola did.
Throughout his first 10 months at the club, Amorim has made it clear he won’t change, and that is actually good news for United.
The club needs a clear identity and style of play, and performances and statistics this season prove that Amorim is making progress.
Amorim’s ultimate aim is to win the Premier League, and if he achieves that, he will do it his way.
READ MORE: ‘So difficult’… Ruben Amorim ‘would take’ one Premier League finish for Man Utd right now, Paul Scholes names exact spot
In his pre-match comments, Amorim pointed out that it is “really hard to imagine” how City are going to play, and that is because Guardiola has now afforded himself the chance to adapt and change his system.
But Amorim is still in the early stages, and he has made that clear. The United boss has always said his team needs to learn the basics first before he starts chopping and changing. That remains the case heading into Sunday’s derby.