and face off in the final of the Europa League that could, among other things, give fans of both clubs a reason to smile after a season of almost never-ending woe. Managers of both clubs are under pressure, with Spurs’ Ange Postecoglou even facing off with a reporter in the pre-match press conference over the language the latter had used to describe the Australian in an article around the final.
Postecoglou’s Manchester United counterpart Ruben Amorim also had an interesting chat with the media in relation to his future and his fortunes with the club, although it was of a far more light-hearted nature. A journalist asked him if he was surprised that he wasn’t under as much pressure as Postecoglou, at which club captain Bruno Fernandes said: “He is. Who told you he’s not? He is,” he said.
Fernandes had a smile on his face and his response drew laughter from the room, including Amorim sitting beside him. “He wants my job. He’ll be a very, very good coach but he has to work on his mindset, he doesn’t know how to deal with people,” Amorim joked.
Amorim went on to say that he too as surprised by Postecoglou copping more criticism than him considering both clubs have had equally poor league seasons. Manchester United are placed a lowly 16th on the Premier League standings while Tottenham are 17th. The only clubs below them are the relegated trio of Leicester City, Ipswich Town and Southampton.
“I don’t know. In this kind of club, also Tottenham, it is strange that you have some coaches who lose games and get sacked,” he said. “I think people see that sometimes I am thinking more about the club than myself. We have a lot of issues that in the context is really hard. I don’t know how to explain how the fans like me in this moment. I try to prove myself to the fans, to the board,” said Amorim.
