Ruben Amorim will have to do something that only Sir Alex Ferguson has managed as Manchester United manager if he is to win the Europa League.
After a difficult six months in charge of Manchester United, the Europa League has been an escape for Ruben Amorim.
With the Premier League being an absolute nightmare for the 40-year-old, Europe is where he has been able to crack a smile. One of the only times he has allowed himself to celebrate was against Athletic Club during the 7-1 aggregate win.
In this game, when Mason Mount scored, Amorim celebrated like a proud father with a smile beaming from ear to ear. This isn’t a sight we are used to seeing from the Portuguese head coach.
However, there will not be smiles on Wednesday night in the build-up to the Europa League final against Spurs, with Amorim having to snap one worrying streak in order to win the trophy.
Manchester United have only beaten an Ange Postecoglou side once
In the build-up to the final, one point being consistently mentioned by those who believe Tottenham will win the game is that Spurs have beaten United three times this season.
In fact, since Ange Postecoglou arrived at the Tottenham Hotspur stadium, United have not beaten Spurs in five attempts, losing four and drawing one.
Two of these defeats have been under Amorim, although both have been by narrow margins.
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However, Postecoglou’s record against United is not flawless, but we need to go all the way back to 2000 and Sir Alex Ferguson to find when the Red Devils beat a side coached by the Australian.
The only win came against South Melbourne in 2000 in the Club World Cup when Ferguson met Postecoglou in his first role as a manager.
So if United are to lift the trophy on Wednesday, it will mean Amorim has to snap this streak, and the odds would suggest he will, as few teams rack up such a winless streak against the Red Devils.
Ruben Amorim has a major advantage over Ange Postecoglou for the Europa League final
While Spurs have enjoyed good times over the past two years against United, the fact that this is a final hands Amorim an advantage.
Spurs are notorious for losing big games, while on The Overlap, Paul Scholes has predicted, United will find a way to win the game, with players having a winning mentality key for this.
In addition to this, Gary Neville has suggested Casemiro will be key for United as his winning mindset won’t let his teammates lose as he has done for the majority of the competition so far.
Amorim is managing a club with a tradition of winning, and this alone gives him an advantage over Postecoglou. When considering Spurs beat United at their worst, this game should tell a different story, as in Europe, Amorim’s side has been immense.