Ruben Amorim insists Manchester United will be fighting for the Premier League title much sooner than Sir Alex Ferguson has predicted.
Ferguson masterminded United’s last title triumph in 2012/13 and duly retired but few then could have predicted that that would be the last time the club would lift the trophy.
After over a decade of decline, Amorim is the latest manager tasked with bringing the glory days back to Old Trafford and there have been signs of recovery this season.
His side have lost just one of their last 10 games and could be in the top-four at Christmas if they defeat high-flying Aston Villa on Sunday.
But it is widely-acknowledged that there is plenty of work to do on-and-off the pitch before they can compete with the likes of Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea.
Get personalised updates on Aston Villa every day
Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro’s Football Newsletter.
Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link we’ll send you so we can get football news tailored to you.
And this week, Ferguson boldly claimed that it could be another ’10 or 11 years’ before the Red Devils can call themselves champions of England again.
Amorim respectfully disagrees with his predecessor’s comments and is certain United will be title contenders before the decade is out.
‘He [Ferguson] understands football more than me, especially English football,’ the head coach said in his pre-match press conference on Friday.
‘I think we will not take that long to win a league and I don’t know which manager is going to be here but I truly believe we can fight for the title in the next years and I think it is not going to take so many years but you never know.
‘In relation of leadership, it’s the moment of the club and you have to fight all the fights here inside, and I’m here to do that. Until I’m [not] here, I will fight, I will not back down and I have to solve everything.
What did Sir Alex Ferguson say about Man Utd’s Premier League title hopes?
‘He [Amorim] is a good personality. It is not easy,’ Ferguson told PressBox PR.
‘I remember looking back on my own time there, starting off when Liverpool were the bee’s knees. They were a fantastic club winning the European Cup four times and all that, but then it took them 31 years to win the league again.
‘We are now in the same situation. It could be ten years, could be 11 years, because of that cycle. It has to be thought out carefully and we have to make sure the recruitment is going to be better than what it was.
‘I think the appointment of the goalkeeper [Senne Lammens] has made a difference. He’s young at 23, he’s quick, a big lad, good feet and hands, and I think that helps. I think they have needed that player. United have always had inspirational players over the years. I think that has helped.
‘The other two, [Bryan] Mbeumo and [Matheus] Cunha, they look as if they will contribute to the recovery of our form.’
‘We are improving as a team, we are improving as a group and we are going to improve in these small things. That will make a difference even to suffer goals.
‘If we are a different group, we are going to suffer less goals but we are scoring more, so let’s think about the positives and let’s think about the Villa game.’
How long before Man Utd win their next Premier League title?
-
1-3 years
-
5-10 years
-
10+ years
The trip to Villa Park will not be easy, with the Villans third in the table, only three points behind league leaders Arsenal and on a nine-game winning streak.
‘I think they have a manager with a lot of experience. You can see when you watch Villa play, you can sense it’s a very mature team.’ Amorim added.
‘Understands, [Unai Emery] doesn’t panic when he’s losing, he doesn’t feel overwhelmed when he’s winning, he can control the emotion all the time. I think they are a very strong team, if they are going to fight until the end [for the title]? I don’t know. But they are capable of that.’
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.