Ruben Amorim will not turn to Sir Alex Ferguson for advice as he seeks a way to guide Manchester United out of the shadow of Pep Guardiola's Manchester City.
Amorim is yet to meet the most successful manager in the club's history. The 39-year-old has made it clear he will not reopen the dressing room door that was closed to Ferguson last month. was told to keep his distance from United players.
The Portuguese insists he must be his own man when it comes to the task of bringing back the kind of glory days United last enjoyed under the Scot before he retired 11 years ago. Amorim accepts that Guardiola's decision to sign a contract extension that will keep him at the Etihad until the summer of 2027 makes his job much more difficult than it could have been.
But while Ferguson once leaned on Sir Matt Busby's guidance before making his own history at Old Trafford, the new man made it clear he wants the past to stay exactly where it is.
When asked if he had met the 13-time Premier League winner, Amorim revealed: “No, not yet. I didn't have that option. It's hard to copy someone, so I have to be myself.
“This is a club that has to win and has to win, so we have to show that to our players. But it's a different time. I can't be the same man as Sir Alex Ferguson.
“It's a different time and I have to have a different approach, but I can also be demanding with a different approach and that is my focus.”
United have not been Premier League champions since Ferguson retired in 2013.
They have also not finished above their nearest rivals in the same period. When Amorim looked at the current table on his first day in office, he would have seen the Blues eight points better off despite being embroiled in the worst crisis of Guardiola's eight points. year reign.
The Portuguese added to City's misery by beating them 4-1 in the Champions League earlier this month in one of his final appearances as Sporting Lisbon coach. Amorim said: “I think it (Guardiola signing a new contract) is a problem for everyone here.
“But we have to do so much ourselves that we can't concentrate on anyone else. We just have to concentrate on our club, improve our club and not concentrate on the other clubs – so let's concentrate on Manchester United.
“It's great. If you can beat that team (City) then that's a good sign, but like I said, let's concentrate on Manchester United.”
Amorim's first game as United manager takes him to Ipswich Town and a battle with Kieran McKenna, the young Irishman courted by United this summer.
He is ready to throw himself on a steep learning curve, but he is aware that results will be essential if he is to buy himself the time that will allow him to live up to the legacy Ferguson has created over more than 26 years to make.
Amorim added: “It's so much harder to make a team in the middle of a season because you have to know the players during the games. You're talking about no national team periods to work with the players, so it's only about matches.
“When you win, it is a lot of fun to play a lot of matches and make some tactical changes. But if you lose, you won't have the time during training to work out everything you want to work on.
“I think we can improve a team during training. This is the most important aspect, but it is very difficult to do this with the help of video or during recovery training. We will find ways to deal with it.”
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