Midfielder wants his team to “focus” and not be intimidated by the Red Devils’ upturn in form
Nottingham Forest midfielder Morgan Gibbs-White has praised Ruben Amorim for “incredible” improvements to Manchester United but insists Forest will not be overawed when the sides meet at the City Ground this weekend.
Barely a month ago, criticism was heavy on Amorim after three losses in six league games. But a run of three successive wins, including a victory over Liverpool at Anfield and their first back-to-back victories in the Premier League for over a year, has brightened the mood around the club and reignited belief in the Portuguese coach.
United last beat bogey team Brighton, who had won six of their last seven in the league against the Red Devils, and climbed to sixth, just six points behind league leaders Arsenal.
“It’s been incredible to see,” Gibbs-White said. “Obviously they’ve been going through a tough time in the past couple of years.
“But they’ve stuck with the gaffer and the past four or five games you’re really starting to see how Man United should be playing, that grit and that determination to want to play for the badge.
“I feel like it’s been incredible to see. It’s something I feel like the league has missed.”
United face Gibbs-White’s Forest hoping to make it four wins out of four. The 25-year-old said it would be a tough test but backed his side to get a positive result.
“All we can do is focus on ourselves,” said Gibbs-White. “We can’t focus on how Man United are doing and how their performances are because if we do that, we’re just almost bowing down to them.
“We’ve got to focus on what we want to do and how we can win the game.”
The fixture against United is only new manager Sean Dyche’s second Premier League fixture in charge at the club since taking over from Ange Postecoglou last week. He will be looking to end a run of four consecutive league defeats for Forest.
Gibbs-White said Dyche and his coaching staff have already begun preparing their tactical approach for the weekend.
“I feel like this week we’ve already started to implement some ideas,” said the midfielder, “and obviously we’ve still got a few more days until the game, so I’m sure the gaffer will have more ideas of how we can beat them.”
