Real Sociedad goalkeeper speaks out ahead of Man Utd clash, praises Ruben Amorim amid transfer rumors.
Real Sociedad goalkeeper Alex Remiro has been closely following Manchester United’s season, noting similarities between the struggles at Old Trafford and those he has experienced at La Real.
United will face Real Sociedad in the first leg of their Europa League Round of 16 tie on Thursday night in San Sebastián, providing an opportunity for Ruben Amorim’s side to recover after United’s recent FA Cup defeat to Fulham in a penalty shootout.
With the FA Cup out of reach, United’s only remaining chance for silverware or a path to Champions League qualification lies in the Europa League. Currently sitting 14th in the Premier League, they now face a La Liga side in 9th place, with a spot in the Europa League quarter-finals at stake.
Remiro was linked with a move to United last year when reports suggested the club was growing frustrated with first-choice goalkeeper Andre Onana. Ahead of Thursday’s match, in an exclusive interview with The Guardian, Remiro revealed he has been keeping an eye on United this season and sees parallels between their struggles and those of Real Sociedad.
When asked if he has been watching United, Remiro said: “Yes, for work and because I like to. I feel like the same is happening to them as happens to us, a bit. They have players with huge potential but they don’t seem to quite find the solution to be the team they once were, to be higher up.”
Remiro also spoke highly of both Ruben Amorim and former United manager Erik ten Hag, admitting that he admires both. “Maybe they need a run of five, six, seven games winning, but something always happens,” he added. “I like the new coach, I like his ideas – I liked Erik ten Hag too – but it feels like something always goes wrong.”
The Spanish goalkeeper also revealed that David de Gea was one of his childhood idols. After moving to Manchester from Atlético Madrid in 2011, De Gea spent 12 years at Old Trafford, making 545 appearances and keeping 190 clean sheets.
When asked about his inspirations growing up, Remiro shared: “When I started playing as a goalkeeper, one of my idols was David de Gea. I’ve seen all of De Gea’s videos. Absolutely all of them. I liked his reactions, how intuitive he is. I didn’t really understand the end. The year out. He was their best player and I didn’t understand why he left… I liked watching Ronaldo too, and David Silva.”
