Ruben Amorim has admitted that David Moyes is doing a better job at Everton than he is at Manchester United ahead of their meeting.
Amorim takes his struggling United side to Goodison Park to face a revitalised Everton team in Saturday’s early kick-off in the Premier League. The visitors sit 15th in the table, a place and a point behind their hosts, after Amorim was unable to turn around the sinking ship he inherited from Erik ten Hag in November.
By contrast, Moyes has made an immediate impact since returning to Everton to replace Sean Dyche in January. The veteran Scot has won four of his seven matches to move Everton away from the relegation zone and give the club a renewed sense of positivity.
Amorim has won just four of his 14 Premier League games so far, and is overseeing United’s worst league campaign in 51 years. He is in desperate need of a result at Goodison, and speaking in his pre-match press conference he hailed Moyes as the target to aim at.
“David Moyes is doing a better job than me, it’s quite simple,” Amorim said. “We have to give merit to the players of Everton and especially to the coach of Everton, and we need to do the same.
“It’s an amazing job by David Moyes to recover the team. You feel the confidence and belief are there. Sometimes it’s frustrating when you hear out loud ‘four wins in 14 games for Manchester United’. You get really angry.”
Amorim has been open about the fact he originally wanted to stay with Sporting Lisbon and take the United job in the summer, when he would have a full pre-season to build from. But he also believes that the shadow of legendary former boss Sir Alex Ferguson continues to hang over Old Trafford, despite him retiring in 2013.
“It shows it’s a difficult job,” he added. “We have to try to understand the history. This club had a figure in Sir Alex Ferguson that you cannot replace. Everything was connected with one person and when that person leaves it’s really hard.”
Asked to reflect upon his initial desire to delay his arrival at United, Amorim replied: “I think that’s clear. It’s common sense. When you start a season it’s completely different. I had my reasons to ask for it and I have the most important reasons to accept the job. I knew it would be tough and a risk, but it’s Manchester United and you can’t say no.”
Amorim has been given a boost for the Everton game, with Leny Yoro, Manuel Ugarte and Christian Eriksen back available after missing the 1-0 defeat by Tottenham last weekend. Yoro and Eriksen have overcome an illness, while Ugarte has shaken off a knock to bolster United’s ranks after Amorim was forced to field a hugely inexperienced bench against Spurs.
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