Ruben Amorim looked riled by Ange Postecoglou question and that is good news for Man United

Intransigence could be a theme of the build-up to Manchester United's fixture at Tottenham this weekend. It was a battle between two head coaches who, on paper, are totally wedded to one plan.

As Ange Postecoglou has said of his Tottenham side, "It's just who we are, mate," while Ruben Amorim said of his 3-4-2-1 system at Old Trafford, "I have to sell my idea, I don’t have another one."

So, whose idea will come out on top this weekend? Postecoglou has refused to compromise on his Tottenham ideals despite an injury crisis that has left him down to the bare bones. Amorim has played 3-4-2-1 for every minute of his 20 games in charge so far. Neutrals will tune in on Sunday not because these teams are unpredictable but because they are exactly the opposite.

You know what you're getting with Spurs, which is usually weekly chaos. United's performance level fluctuates a little more, but the system's predictability is only matched by the team's unpredictability. Absolutely anything could happen this weekend.

For Tottenham, the prize is moving above United. The fact that this is 14th vs 13th is a simple statistic to suggest that being wedded to one clear philosophy might not be the guarantee of success club owners think it is, even if it is in vogue at the moment.

But while Postecoglou is surely close to the endpoint at Spurs, Amorim is only getting going at Old Trafford. Are they kindred spirits headed for glorious success or ignominious failure, or are there crucial differences?

When Amorim began an answer to a question on that theme at his pre-match press conference on Friday with the words, "I'm a huge fan of Postecoglou," it seemed like they were from the same modern school of philosophy over adaptability.

The difference is