Longevity meant that the circle would come full circle at some point and Pep Guardiola now finds himself just as he was when he landed in Manchester: facing the outstanding Portuguese coach of a generation.
And this one might actually outlive you. It would take something spectacular for Ruben Amorim not to achieve that, but this is Manchester United, when even the safest bets quickly turn into blind shots at black or red.
Guardiola has sacked three permanent United coaches during his time at Manchester City. After José Mourinho, there was Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and now Erik ten Hag. Also add Ralf Rangnick for good measure.
Mourinho’s bite and snarl got under Guardiola’s skin as they competed in Spain, but an uneasy lull in England meant the spectacle was largely written off. And when it comes to pure football, there is only one winner.
That Mourinho only stayed at Old Trafford for two years is a shame, because the awkward tension would have eventually been broken, and while Solskjaer did take a hit or two to City, they often came too late to matter fundamentally.
Pep Guardiola has already defeated three permanent Man United managers during his time at Man City
Despite their rivalry in Spain, the lack of competitiveness on the field allowed them to comfortably beat former United manager José Mourinho.
But the arrival of Rubén Amorim promises to inject new life into a United team that needs it so much.
But Amorim is seen as the right manager to take on a challenge and is close to City’s incoming director of football, Hugo Viana, in a way that will generate intrigue around relations between the two clubs. City’s Bernardo Silva praised the impact Amorim had in Lisbon and last night described Sporting as a “great machine at the moment”.
Tuesday’s Champions League meeting may not offer insight into who has whose number, although how Amorim responds to any result – positive or negative – could set the tone for what follows in the coming months. After all, the coaches will meet again in just over a month at the Etihad Stadium.
“Pep is the best coach in the world,” said Amorim. “I know it’s difficult for United fans and I think City are the best team in the world.
‘Each player is world class, it is always very difficult to predict what is going to happen. We have to be brave. I am a better coach than before. I think Pep is an even better coach. Today I have better players.”
Amorim was reminiscing about City’s last trip to the Portuguese capital two and a half years ago, thrashing their hosts 5-0 (former Benfica midfielder Silva particularly enjoyed his brace, inciting the home fans) and leaving with Guardiola calling Matheus Nunes from Sporting. – now at City – one of the best players in the world.
Many in Lisbon thought that City would pinch their coach and also their sporting director, Viana, who has been named Txiki Begiristain’s successor at the Etihad.
Viana is banned from the Sporting dressing room on Tuesday, a ban imposed by Amorim before accepting the job at Old Trafford. Silva laughed saying he couldn’t wish Amorim well and is looking to settle scores with his mother and closest friends, all Sporting fans, when he returns to the Estadio José Alvalade.
“With a full team we are always stronger,” Silva said. ‘You can’t deny that. We are missing incredible players. But I don’t like to find excuses either. This club was never about that. Kevin (De Bruyne) was injured for six or seven months and we won the league. We always succeed. Perform well individually and do your job. There are no excuses.’
Bernardo praised his compatriot as he prepares to take charge of Sporting Lisbon for the final time at the José Alvalade Stadium.
However, City will still be without several key players after an injury-plagued start to the campaign.
What Silva is referring to there are the worrying weeks that the Premier League champions have been facing. The injury problems have deepened enough for Guardiola to request some playing time despite the pain, a key message sent to senior members of his squad ahead of Saturday’s shock Premier League defeat to Bournemouth.
Only three players (John Stones, Ruben Dias and Jack Grealish) have been sidelined through injury, but many more are on the wrong side of full fitness. De Bruyne did just a gentle jog down the touchline at the weekend; Kyle Walker came in to start out of nowhere and it was clearly evident that he hadn’t been around for a month.
Regardless, Guardiola emerged victorious over what he perceived as unfair criticism of the performances. ‘I know our standards, right?’ said. ‘I know our standards. “We lost a game in the Premier League.”
