Sean Dyche today insisted he had “maximum respect for all managers” after previously questioning the job done by Ruben Amorim at Manchester United.
It was in May when Dyche suggested he would do a better job than the Portuguese at Old Trafford. He told the Stick to Football podcast: “He better win some games – pretty quick. I reckon if I went there and played my way, we’d win more games. Just 4-4-2 – give them basic rules of principles. We’re all going, ‘Fair play’ – but, he’s been there a while now so you better start bringing some wins soon.”
Fast forward five months and Amorim appears to have got United on a more solid footing – they are sixth heading into the weekend having won four of their last five in the league – while Dyche has been drafted in at Nottingham Forest to try to keep them in the top flight.
Amorim earlier dismissed Dyche’s comments – graciously accepting they came in his role as a pundit – and the former Everton boss was equally quick to insist there was no bad feeling between the pair.
Speaking ahead of United’s visit to the City Ground on Saturday, Dyche said: “I didn’t question him as a person and I would never do that. Clickbait kills anything.
“If I went there and played my way I reckon I’d win more games!” 🤷♂️
Sean Dyche has his say on what’s going wrong at Man United. 👀 pic.twitter.com/vCGTTmmvlt
— The Overlap (@WeAreTheOverlap) May 15, 2025
“I equally said I want managers to be given time and I said he should get half a season to continue what he’s doing. I have maximum respect for all managers. I’m pretty sure his media department will have made that clear to him.”
United have done what I suggested – Dyche
Dyche also claimed his suggestion at the time, for United to simplify their approach, has worked, adding: “The basics may have worked better was my suggestion and they have changed their style so fair play to him. Not necessarily their beliefs but their style.
“They are playing quicker forward and longer, a bit tighter in getting back into their shape. That’s management, that’s coaching.
“That doesn’t mean he’s changed his whole philosophy, it’s adapting to what’s in front of him so fair play to him. He’s shown a bit of flexibility and they’re getting results.”
Dyche has had two games in charge of Forest after succeeding Ange Postecoglou, a 2-0 win against Porto and a 2-0 defeat at Bournemouth last Sunday.
His side go into the weekend third bottom of the Premier League and he knows he does not have much time to get his ideas across.
He added: ”You want to have an instant impact. We did against Porto with the newness, freshness, new voices. It has a really positive effect.
“In the Bournemouth game it felt we flat-lined a bit physically and emotionally.
“It’s finding that level of consistency daily and getting the players to produce that level daily. There’s been a lot of changes for the players, some of them have had three managers in a very short space of time
“You hope it works straight away but it is difficult to achieve that.”
I need time, like Amorim – Dyche
Dyche even pointed at United as an example of a club where things can improve if the manager is given time.
“Ruben Amorim is a good point in case,” he said. “It took him time but he’s gradually getting there now after quite a bit of time. We want to fast-track it, that’s our plan. We have to.
“The league table isn’t lying, that’s where we’re at. I’ve said that to the players.”
Forest have some injury woes ahead of the weekend clash. Striker Chris Wood remains sidelined, along with Ola Aina, Oleksandr Zinchenko, Dilane Bakwa and Angus Gunn.
