Man City star reluctantly applauds Man Utd appointment of ‘really good’ Ruben Amorim

Bernardo Silva has applauded Manchester United’s move to appoint Ruben Amorim as their new manager but has stopped short of wishing his fellow countryman well at Old Trafford.

Current Sporting boss Amorim has signed a three-year deal with United following the club’s decision to sack Erik ten Hag last week following a loss at West Ham.

The 39-year-old has guided the Portuguese outfit to two league titles since taking charge in March 2020, gaining plenty of plaudits for his attacking style of football in the process.

And speaking prior to City’s clash with Sporting in the Champions League on Tuesday night, Silva hailed the impact Amorim made in Lisbon and what he can bring to the Old Trafford job.

Silva said: “Since he’s been there, not only him but the president and the sporting director, it looks like they all went in the same direction. And when that happens, when people are competent, and have the same idea and go the same way, the chances of doing well, the job, are much higher.

“Then as a manager, tactically, you can see that he’s really good, you can see the way he prepares his teams. It was never this [inconsistent], it was always going upwards, better and better after each season.

“In terms of him going to Manchester United, I don’t wish him very well, as you can imagine, because he’s going to be my rival. But he deserves what he got, he deserves to be in one of the best clubs in the world right now because the work that he has done for the last few years has been unbelievable.

“He will be a rival but I am glad someone else from Portugal is in the best league in the world.”

READ MORE ➡️ Six Man Utd players who could benefit from Ruben Amorim being appointed as next manager

Amorim relishing Man Utd challenge

Meanwhile, Amorim says he wanted to take the United job at the end of the season but accepted a mid-season appointment after being told it was “now or never”.

“The season started, we started very well, and then Manchester United came, they pay above the compensation clause and the president defends the club’s interests,” Amorim explained.

“I never discussed anything with the president. For three days I said I wanted to stay until the end of the season, but then I was told it was not possible.

“It was now or never, or Manchester would go for another option. So, I had three days to make my mind up, to make a decision that changes radically my life.

“I’ve had other opportunities – the president and [director of football] Hugo Viana can confirm this. It’s not the first or the second time that I have been requested by another team and I don’t want another team.

“After Sporting I wanted that one, Manchester, and I want that context because that context allows me to do things my way and the club believes me that way.

“There’s a time when I have to take a step forward in my career. That’s what happened. It was harder for me than to any Sporting fan, believe me, but I had to do this.”

Latest Man Utd news: Amorim targets Sporting trio / Carragher predicts new Garnacho role

New Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has reportedly made clear he wants to reunite with Goncalo Inacio, Ousmane Diomande and Viktor Gyokeres at Old Trafford, no matter the cost, while also picking out four players who can immediately leave the club when the January window opens for business.

Meanwhile, Jamie Carragher has revealed he feels Alejandro Garnacho could play in a deeper role than he’s used to, with Amorim also having no space for Casemiro.

The new boss is expected to go for a massive shake-up, utilising his favoured 3-4-3 formation, differing vastly from Erik ten Hag’s use of the 4-2-3-1.

Premier League pundit Carragher feels the new side will look like this: Andre Onana; Leny Yoro, Matthijs de Ligt, Lisandro Martinez; Noussair Mazraoui, Manuel Ugarte, Kobbie Mainoo, Garnacho; Bruno Fernandes, Rasmus Hojlund, Marcus Rashford.

That would mean for an unfamiliar position for Garnacho, though Carragher explained it is not too dissimilar in Amorim’s system than the wing role he is used to.

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