Ruben Amorim must stand firm as Manchester United manager and not look to adopt the ruthless advice that Sir Alex Ferguson once told Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola.
The 40-year-old Manchester United manager is currently the sixth permanent head coach in the Old Trafford hot seat since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013.
Ferguson’s legendary spell as United manager ended after the 2012-13 campaign, with the Red Devils lifting the Premier League title under the iconic Scotsman.
United have failed to recapture the Premier League crown since former Aberdeen and Red Devils manager Ferguson bowed out of football management.
Ferguson’s exit from Old Trafford also marked a shift in English football, with Manchester City ushering in a period of dominance with Pep Guardiola in charge.
Guardiola had an iconic rivalry with Ferguson when he was Barcelona manager and the United legend even wanted the Spaniard to take over from him at Old Trafford.
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Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola and Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim ahead of the Premier League match between Manchester City and Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium in 2024 in Manchester.
Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images
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Pep Guardiola’s admission about what Sir Alex Ferguson told him is a real eye-opener for Man Utd manager Ruben Amorim
During the 2023-24 Premier League season, Pep Guardiola spoke about Sir Alex Ferguson and shared an interesting line from the ex-Manchester United manager.
The 54-year-old Manchester City manager took a swipe at former Liverpool head coach Jurgen Klopp at the time after the Reds won the Carabao Cup trophy in 2024.
Guardiola has found his own success with the Carabao Cup competition during his reign at City, having lifted the piece of English silverware four times since 2016.
However, the former Barcelona manager revealed that Ferguson, who captured four League Cup titles as United head coach, had a brutal assessment of the competition.
“I remember when I arrived, Brian Kidd told me, ‘The Carabao Cup, don’t pay attention, play the young players, nobody cares,’” Guardiola said at a press conference in February 2024.
“Sir Alex Ferguson was always, ‘It doesn’t matter.’ I don’t know what happened in these last years, looks like the final of a different competition. It’s the truth!”
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Sir Alex Ferguson’s message to Pep Guardiola is not the approach that Ruben Amorim wants to take with Man Utd next season
It is all to play for with Ruben Amorim at Old Trafford next season and the former Sporting CP boss knows how important major silverware is for the Red Devils.
Amorim could have had one redeemable factor — and an enjoyable memory for United fans — had United won the 2025 Europa League final against Tottenham in May.
United’s 1-0 defeat to Spurs in Bilbao ended their hope of climbing back into the Champions League and the Red Devils now have fewer matches for next season.
Both former United managers Erik ten Hag and Jose Mourinho enjoyed high points by lifting the League Cup during their debut seasons in the Old Trafford dugout.
Amorim, much like his United predecessors, needs to have his own approach to the League Cup and show serious intent to win it in the 2025-26 season at Old Trafford.
The Carabao Cup could also act as a major morale boost for Amorim’s United first-team squad for the second half of the season amid chasing European qualification.