Manchester United head coach, Ruben Amorim says the club is focused on their “own problems” rather than the struggles of rivals Manchester City before Sunday’s derby at Etihad Stadium.
- Premier League champions City have won just one of their last 10 matches in all competitions, with seven defeats, and dropped to fourth place and eight points behind leaders Liverpool, who also have a game in hand.
Amorim has won three of his six matches in charge in all competitions, but United have lost back-to-back Premier League games to sit 13th in the table.
And despite City’s poor form, the Portuguese said: “I never think about these things. We will face a great opponent and I’m more focused on our problems, so we have a lot of issues here.
“I’m more focused on what we should do on Sunday to win the game, so I’m really focused on my team.”
Asked if he was facing a weaker City side – and one which his former Sporting side beat 4-1 in a Champions League home tie in November – Amorim added: “No, no, no, no.
READ ALSO: EPL: Man United’s Amorim records first win, thrash Everton 4-0
“The great teams can respond in any moment, and I think they are in a better place than us in the type of understanding the game, the way they play, the confidence they have. Even in these kind of moments.
“We have a lot to focus on in our team. Of course we have a strategy to try to win the game with the strategy like it should be, but we are focused just on our team.”
‘Never’ had Man City talks – Amorim
Amorim also denied ever holding talks with City over potentially succeeding Pep Guardiola as manager.
The 39-year-old was heavily linked with the role when still Sporting manager, while the rumours intensified when the Portuguese club’s director of football Hugo Viana agreed to move to the Etihad next summer.
United moved quickly to appoint Amorim after sacking Erik ten Hag in late October, before Guardiola ended rumours about his own future by signing a new two-year deal the following month.
Of the City links, Amorim said: “Never. Never had and this [United] was my only option.
“When Manchester United talked to me, I had no doubts because I had already something in my mind [that] it could be a possibility.
“With Manchester City or Hugo Viana? Nothing about that.”
BBC.com
