Sunderland manager Regis Le Bris takes his team to Old Trafford this weekend where he expects to face a ‘tough’ test against a ‘strong’ Manchester United side.
It has not been a good start to the season for the Red Devils, with just seven points from their opening six league games and defeat in the Carabao Cup to Grimsby Town.
A win over Chelsea at Old Trafford was encouraging, but was immediately followed up by a 3-1 loss at Brentford.
In contrast to the downbeat vibe around Manchester United, Sunderland are flying on their return to the Premier League, sitting fifth in the table.
The Black Cats have lost just one game so far and are defying expectations after winning the Championship play-offs last season.
Get personalised updates on Manchester United 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 so we can send you football news tailored to you.
Given the relative form of the teams, some are expecting another difficult afternoon for Ruben Amorim on Saturday, but Le Bris has heaped praise on the struggling Red Devils.
He reckons Amorim’s side has a lot going for it and they could click into gear at any point if they can gain some confidence.
‘Being at Old Trafford demands strong personality and strong character,’ said the Sunderland boss. ‘I still believe that we’ll need to upgrade our performance to be competitive in Manchester.
‘They are strong, create many chances from everywhere, direct play in behind, set pieces, with talented players. Now it’s just a question of click, confidence, circumstances, scenario.
‘So for us the only thing we can control is our way of playing, the way we want to play this game, to face this challenge, being aware that it will be tough.’
It is more praise than Manchester United have been getting from most quarters of late, with defeat to the Bees last time out causing serious concern among their former players.
Gary Neville said on his Sky Sports podcast: ‘The Brentford game was a really poor performance and a real worry.
‘I felt for the first time, just through instinct, watching it on the television, seeing players’ faces and body language, that there might be an element of players really doubting the system and what’s going on.’
Wayne Rooney went further on his BBC podcast, saying: ‘I am not seeing anything which is giving me any confidence.
Ruben Amorim’s Premier League record
Played: 33
Won: 9
Drawn: 7
Lost: 17
‘There needs to be big changes in my opinion. I just don’t know what’s going on.
‘Ruben Amorim is my age, he is still a young manager and I’m sure he still has a massive future, but what’s going on at Man United, this is not Man United.
‘I honestly hope he can turn it round and he does. But if you’re saying to me, “do you believe he will?”, then, after everything I’ve seen, honestly, I’ve got no faith in it.’
Sunderland, though, are having a great time after their win at Nottingham Forest last time out and Le Bris being nominated for September Manger of the Month.
‘It’s a pleasure because it means that our collective performance is positive at the minute and we want to be competitive in the league,’ he said.
‘It’s better to start with confidence and points and the feeling that we can be competitive in the league even if it’s tough and every game is different. It’s really clear that it is collective work and everyone has their own role and it’s important to value, even the small tasks.’