Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has admitted his side have bigger problems than Manchester City despite their rivals' disappointing form.
City, who travel to Old Trafford for the Manchester Derby on Sunday – live on Sky, are enjoying their worst form since Pep Guardiola took over the club in 2016.
The Premier League champions have won just once in their last ten games in all competitions, during a period that has also seen them lose five in a row.
United's fortunes have been only slightly better after a stuttering start under new boss Amorim. The Reds lost their last two Premier League games against Arsenal and Nottingham Forest but fought back to beat Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League on Thursday and handed Amorim its third win in six games. However, despite City's lack of fortunes, Amorim believes Guardiola's side remain a threat.
“They are so good at what they do that they can change this momentum at any time,” Amorim told Sky Sports.
“They are a very strong team that has been working together for many years. They have won a lot, but they have also lost a lot. We have a bigger problem because we are working on simple things, but we want to win like Manchester City.”
“It is a match in which both teams are not having the best moment of the season, but it is always a derby and we want to win it.”
Amorim earned his first scalp against Guardiola's City in November as Sporting boss. Sporting's 4-1 win against City in the Champions League handed them what was, at the time, their third successive defeat during their winless run.
For Amorim, however, Sporting's victory has no influence on the upcoming derby. Instead, the United boss is taking the opportunity to see how his side respond in a derby atmosphere.
'We can't use much of that [Sporting] but it helped us understand the game and feel the game very close.
“We have so much to do, not only in the game. But we also look at the way we will play. I am excited to see the behavior of our players, in these types of games – to learn a lot about our players. “
Amorim will be in his first full month in charge at Old Trafford after playing nine games in 30 days. With little time to learn a system change during training, Amorim has once again emphasized the need for patience during the club's transition period.
“This should be a kind of preparation where I get to know my players, but this is what we do in the competition,” Amorim said.
“You always have surprises. You have an idea of a player and you have one or two surprises, in good and bad ways.
“I already know that it is a big job, it will take time. Forget me as a coach, the club needs time. That is something important that everyone must understand and we must concentrate on every detail. Not only on the result, We have to focus on every detail if we want to win, but we still have a lot to improve.”
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