Optimism is rising at Manchester United about Ruben Amorim’s debut against Ipswich Town on Sunday.
Despite being 13th in the table, Manchester United are currently only four points behind third-placed Chelsea.
The Red Devils will take heart from that and further encouragement has been provided to Amorim by Chelsea star Pedro Neto.
The winger spoke to DAZN Portugal and expressed his pride about how Amorim’s rise is a good sign for Portuguese football in general.
He said, as relayed by NoticiasOminuto: “It’s a sign that the Portuguese are working very well. It’s a sign that both players and coaches have produced a great batch and of great quality.”
Speaking further, the Chelsea man wished the Manchester United boss well for his time at the new club.
“Above all, and as I said before in the national team, I wish Ruben all the best, except against Chelsea. I think he is a Portuguese product showing the quality he has. It is also the Portuguese spirit and I hope it continues like this.
“We are a small country, but we show our greatness based on these values and both as people and as professionals of the Portuguese people”
Neto has never played under the 39-year-old manager but his comments are a clear sign of how big a deal it is for many in Portugal that Amorim is managing the Red Devils.
He has had a steep journey in the game over the last few seasons, going from managing Casa Pia, Braga and then Sporting. On the way, Amorim has shown an insistence for a 3-4-3 formation.
That will give the Manchester United players a lot of certainty to work with and it is something which was probably missing under Erik ten Hag.