Ruben Amorim has laughed off Sean Dyche’s claims he would win more games as Manchester United manager than the Portuguese coach.
United head to Nottingham Forest on Saturday afternoon with Dyche taking charge of his first home game in the Premier League since his arrival at the City Ground as Ange Postecoglou’s replacement.
It is Dyche’s first role since being relieved of his duties at Everton at the start of the year.
The former Burnley boss appeared on the Stick to Football podcast in May, just as United were stumbling to the end of a dreadful 2024-25 Premier League campaign where they finished 15th.
‘He’s not going to change the way he plays. He [Ruben Amorim] better win some games – pretty quick,’ Dyche said.
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‘I reckon if I went there and played my way, we’d win more games. Just 4-4-2 – give them basic rules of principles.
‘We’re all going, “Fair play” – but, he’s been there a while now so you better start bringing some wins soon.’
Dyche went onto repeat those claims during an appearance on No Tippy Tappy Football in August. ‘I may get hammered for it, but I bet I could win more games with that squad playing a 4-4-2,’ he said.
Following his appointment in November last year, Amorim managed just seven wins from his 27 league games in charge, woeful form that continued into the new season until a recent upturn in form.
United are now on a run of three wins on the bounce with performances against Sunderland, Liverpool and Brighton showing a drastic improvement that has lifted them up to sixth place – level with City and ahead of champions Liverpool. His widely-criticised 3-4-3 formation has also begun to show signs of promise.
Ahead his meeting with Dyche on Saturday, Amorim insisted there is no ill-feeling towards the Forest manager over his comments – acknowledging pundits have to say ‘very strong things’ in their roles away from the dugout.
‘First of all, maybe it is true! If we play 4-4-2 maybe we might win more games,’ Amorim said at a press conference on Thursday.
‘But I always say I have a way of playing games that is going to take a while then in the future, it is going to be better. So we don’t know that.
‘Then I can look at Sean Dyche as the manager, then as the pundit. If you are a pundit and you don’t say very strong things, I don’t want to watch you. I am the same. So I can understand it is a completely different job.
‘And I know Sean Dyche is really smart and he knows how to play the game. And he also understands it is one thing when we are seeing the game and talking about the game and it is another thing to coach a team. So I understand it, I have nothing to say and just want to win the next one.’