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Ruben Amorim has faced a range of clubs during his first six games as Manchester United head coach, from Arsenal in the Premier League to Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League. Those six matches have brought positives, negatives and mixed results, but his opponents on Sunday, Manchester City, will pose a different challenge.
Pep Guardiola’s side go into the game at the Etihad looking a shadow of their dominant selves, winners of the past four Premier League titles, but derby days are different, even if Amorim is playing down its significance.
"I just want to improve the team so I cannot treat it like a normal derby," he said on Thursday evening. "It should be like two great teams fighting for the title, and it is not that in this moment. So it is just one more game with a very good opponent. Both teams are struggling in the moment so I hope in future I can feel that real feeling of a derby (that has title implications)."
While that is certainly true about the form and prospects of the two teams, it is still a game that means a little bit more.
To give United’s new head coach a taste of what to expect, The Athletic spoke to three United legends about what it’s like to play City away. From vomit to respect to moments they’ll treasure, this is what they had to say.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said: "It’s not hostile at their place, not really. But it’s a proper rivalry. Sometimes it’s easier away from home against them. At Old Trafford, you have more of a responsibility to open up and try to dominate.
Anthony Cole said: "City away with United. Love it. Almost always enjoyable, as was the build-up. But I’m talking about when City were at Maine Road. Our team coach would pass by all those terraced houses in Moss Side, a setting that gets the juices flowing. Some of their fans would be flicking the Vs and you’re thinking, ‘This is what it’s about’. If you can’t get yourself up for these games then you’re going to struggle.
Patrice Evra said: "The kick-off was at 12 for my first United game, which was against City away. The noisy neighbours. I’d not played a game that early since I was a child. I saw Mikael Silvestre eating pasta at nine in the morning, so I joined him. And then the vomiting started. I thought that was the end of the day for me but it stopped. Now I know it was an allergy, but at the time, was I going to miss a debut like that? I didn’t mention it to anyone.
Gary Neville, also an ex-United player, had a difficult debut debut against City and suggested that Rubben Amorim’s players should show willing on Sunday.
"I was taken off after Ferguson spent the break shouting at us and I couldn’t understand a word. He still got his message across. I have said before what he told me or how Carlos Queiroz translated it into French. ‘Evra! That’s enough! Now you can sit down, watch the game and start to learn to play English football in another game!’ When Queiroz told me I wasn’t going back on, I didn’t argue.
Nemanja Vidic played his first game too. He stayed on the pitch. We lost 3-1. My agent Luca was there with his wife. It got worse because this was supposed to be a great moment for him. He came to see me at the hotel. I opened the door and he nearly cried when he saw me. Even his wife looked sad for me. I didn’t feel sad, I felt s***, empty, especially after the way Ferguson had talked to me.
