Marco Silva would love to be the new Special One and is flattered by the comparisons with Jose Mourinho.
There will be an all-Portuguese head-to-head on the Vicarage Road sideline on Tuesday night when Watford host Manchester United, a clash between eight and second in the top flight.
And for the highly-rated Hornets boss it will be another chance for him to try to outwit his managerial mate Mourinho.
The United chief is 14 years Silva’s senior and has shown Portuguese coaches how it is done by hoovering up trophies at home, in England, Italy and Spain, living up to the Special One tag he gave himself at his Chelsea unveiling along the way.
Silva, who is just as assured, driven and focused as Mourinho, is now being tipped to follow in his countryman’s footsteps after his own impressive start to management in Portugal, Greece and England.
With 13 league games played, Watford already have six wins and 21 points, more than halfway to the magic 40-point mark.
And as he prepared to welcome his compatriot, Silva said: “Of course I’d like to emulate him.
“It is important and a good sign when somebody compares you with a good coach. It is better to be compared with a very good coach than the other way.
“For Portugal he is a very important coach with what he did in the last 15 years.
“It is really important for him and he has also shown the way for other Portuguese coaches.
“To reach his level I need to do my job. I need to improve every day.
“I’m sure if I continue to do my work maybe good things will come in the future but for me the most important thing is always the next day, the next training and the next match.”
Silva was still playing in Portugal when Mourinho’s managerial career and silverware collecting, including the 2004 Champions League at Porto, was well underway.
But they are now friends and Mourinho gave Silva advice before he took both his jobs in England, with Hull and now Watford.
Silva, who again batted away questions about the Everton vacancy, said: “He had a fantastic impact in Portugal since the first moment he started in Benfica and after in Uniao de Leiria.
“And when he joined Porto he had a fantastic impact and you know everything when he came to Chelsea.
“Our relationship is very good. We are friends.
“When I wanted to know something about the Premier League when I was in Portugal or when I was in Greece the best person to talk to was Jose.
“He told me what you would expect, good things about the competition, the Premier League, the matches as well.
“Ok our life permits you don’t see each other many, many times but he is a very good person and tomorrow he is my opponent.
“Before the match we will see each other, sure, and after the match starts, I want to win and he wants to win as well. It is normal.”
Watford stunned United 3-1 at home last season, Silva earned a 2-1 league cup home win and 0-0 draw at Old Trafford as Hull boss and his new, fearless side have been one of the surprises of this campaign so far.
They are eighth in the table and, after Saturday’s thumping 3-0 win at Newcastle, just four points off the top four.
But Silva remains the Humble One too. He said: “You know what is our aim is since the first day – for Watford to remain a Premier League club.
“I don’t change one word now because we achieve good things. We have played only 13 matches. We need to play more, to work really hard. You don’t win nothing until now.
“The moment we achieve 40 points I can talk about different situations.”