In another world, Ruben Amorim might have replaced Pep Guardiola. Instead, Erik ten Hag is the man he will succeed in England's north west, Manchester United on the verge of securing their new manager.

Or should that be Manchester United's new 'head coach'.

Because, with Jason Wilcox, Dan Ashworth and Omar Berrada now performing many of the off-field duties that had fallen into the lap of an overworked Erik ten Hag during the dying embers of the Glazer era, Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim will arrive at Old Trafford tasked with focusing solely on tactics, the training pitch, and getting an underachieving squad pulling in the same direction.

Amorim enjoyed a 3-1 Taca da Liga victory over Nacional in what was surely his farewell Sporting outing on Tuesday night.

Viktor Gyokeres hit a brace, taking his tally to 59 goals from 65 Sporting appearances. Morten Hjulmand has been linked with Man United too, and it was the Dane who opened the scoring.

Fitting, really, that Ruben Amorim's departure would be marked by two players who best sum up the 39-year-old's remarkable ability to turn good players into truly great ones.

Thrust straight into the Sporting team by Amorim back in 2020, Nunes secured a PS53 million move to Premier League champions Manchester City three years later.

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Pep Guardiola once famously described Nunes as 'one of the best players in the world' during his time in Amorim's dressing room.

Comments he admittedly rowed back on later. But comments which highlight just how highly Guardiola regards his fellow tactician's abilities in the player development department.

"All I can talk about is the experience of playing twice against Ruben's Sporting Lisbon team [in Europe], one or two seasons ago, and the pressure was really, really good," Guardiola told reporters on Tuesday when asked about the prospect of Amorim joining him in Manchester.

"I spoke with Matheus Nunes. He was his player, and he speaks highly about him.

"And look this season, he is unbeaten and winning all the games in the Portuguese League. And the Champions League, [Sporting have] the same points as us."

Guardiola hits back after Paul Scholes questions Amorim Amorim leaves Sporting with a 100 per cent record in this season's Primeira Liga. His roaring, blood-thirsty Lions have scored 30 goals and conceded only twice.

About as faultless a record as you could hope to find.

In the Champions League, meanwhile, Sporting secured comfortable, commanding wins over Lille and Sturm Graz either side of a 1-1 draw at PSV Eindhoven.

Amorim also masterminded a creditable draw away to Man City back in 2022, albeit after 5-0 loss in the home leg.

"A high [quality] manager," adds Guardiola, speaking ahead of Man City's EFL Cup meeting with Tottenham Hotspur.

"I have the feeling that what I hear, that [United] are thinking about him, it's because he's a good manager. Man United don't appoint managers who aren't at that level."

Amorim was heavily linked with the Man City job too in recent weeks.

And while United's sky blue rivals appear keen to tell anyone who will listen that they weren't quite as keen on the former Portugal international as initially appeared, this certainly smacks of a jilted schoolboy informing all his friends that he didn't fancy his crush anyway.

The likes of Paul Scholes has expressed concerns over whether Amorim is ready for the United gig. Guardiola, however, points out that he first settled into the Barcelona hotseat at the age of just 37, having only worked in youth team football prior to his appointment at a truly colossal footballing superpower.

Amorim, two years older and with five yours in four trophies at Sporting, is a relative elder statesman compared to Guardiola at his pre-Barca juncture.

"He has experience. I started with Barcelona at 37 years old, coming from the fourth division [with Barca B]," Guardiola argues. "[Saying you can't succeed at a young age], for that reason Lamine Yamal could not play football at 17 years old!

"What is important is the talent. If you are good, it doesn't matter your age."

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