Ruben Amorim explains what will change for him at Man Utd after Man City clash
One of Ruben Amorim's final games at Sporting Lisbon will see him take on Manchester City - with the result potentially changing his perception at Manchester United
by Samuel Meade · The MirrorRuben Amorim has joked that Sporting Lisbon's result against Manchester City will either raise expectations or dampen excitement ahead of his Manchester United arrival.
The Portuguese coach won't take charge at Old Trafford until November 11, meaning he still has two games left in Lisbon. His penultimate assignment will see him take on Pep Guardiola's Premier League winners in the Champions League on Tuesday night - a fixture he lost 5-0 three seasons ago.
Amorim made it clear during negotiations with United that he wanted to stay in charge for the clash with City. It will be a great barometer of where the Portuguese champions are in the final moments under their 39-year-old coach.
Amorim has long been seen as one of Europe's best young coaches and many on the red half of Manchester are excited by his imminent arrival. The Sporting boss has joked that a statement win over City will only raise expectations - but a defeat may see fans reassess their ambitions.
He said: "If the result [vs City] is negative, expectations will drop; if we win they will think that the new Alex Ferguson has arrived. What interests me is to win, a good farewell in Alvalade, win in Braga and start a new adventure in Manchester.
"Tomorrow I will be Sporting's coach and only Sporting's. From the 11th I will be Manchester United's. I know they will draw conclusions from the result, but I don't care. I understand the interest, for me it's just another game against a team in the best league."
Amorim will inherit a United side that has endured their worst ever start to a Premier League season following their draw with Chelsea on Sunday. The Red Devils sit in the bottom half having picked up 12 points from their ten games as they risk losing touch with the top sides.
The Portuguese coach will make his bow against Ipswich Town at Portman Road in late November once domestic football resumes following the international break.
Gary Neville insists the new boss shouldn't be thinking initially about targeting the likes of City, Liverpool and Arsenal - instead he outlined a simple remit for Amorim.
He said on Sky Sports: "It's been a woeful 10 games and the performances are awful. You cannot disconnect performance from results and that's why, when I look at Ruben Amorim, I think about what he needs to do in the job.
"I can't even think about winning the title, that's miles away. Just think about getting the best out of the players that are here, the ones that he signs in the future, and get the team to play higher up the pitch so they look more like a compact unit and like the other top teams."
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