Ahead of United's crunch trip to Hottenham Totspur, Ruben Amorim discussed how he feels his team are better but still need a lot of improvement, why there have been fewer injuries and the recent comments of a legend.
On the team news, the MUFC boss says that there's no change in terms of what they're doing at the club to ensure players' availability as so far, United have had most of the squad ready for every game.
He says that having one game a week helps with the rest and recovery as they can afford "one extra day to the players that you know could struggle in the next training."
Amorim believes that his side have different characteristics to the one that lost in the Europa League final to Spurs. He talks about how they manage moments in games better and that "we are a better team, we play better and we understand the game better."
The United manager still wants consistency from his team as he feels that "we have a lot to do and improve." He mentions how they now have players who can help with that game management.
Conceding goals has been an issue of United's this season. So far, we've let in 16 goals which is the most in the top 10 with only the bottom five having conceded more. Amorim acknowledges this and says that the team that is winning suffers fewers goals conceded and shots on target. He believes that it's a collective problem and that as a team, "we need to defend better."
Something else that Amorim acknowledges is what his ex-Portugal team-mate and United legend Cristiano Ronaldo said in his interview with Piers Morgan. CR7 criticised the club for a lot of things with Amorim agreeing with his fellow Portuguese but does want to focus more on the future rather than the past:
"What we need to focus on is the future. We know that we as a club made a lot of mistakes in the past and we are trying to change that."
Final Thoughts
I mean, it is kinda obvious that we are picking up fewer injuries due to fewer games. As much as it sucks to be playing one game a week, it does have it's benefits. This is one of them.
Luke Shaw is a great example of this as he appears fitter than ever. Not having to play two-three times a week has helped him in his recovery. That lack of intensity due to fewer games is also helping players like Casemiro who also looks very good.
Giving players extra time off is key in this as well although if we're being completely honest, we would prefer to be playing mid-week.
There are signs of improvement. You can read my 5 Things Learned post from the Forest game where I talk about these improvements but we still do have a long way to go. While there have been positives this season, there are still quite a few negatives.
We are still a very moments team: some moments good, some moments not so good. Some moments in control, some moments not in control. This is the inconsistency that Amorim is talking about and why we are still a side that can be got at.
The amount of goals conceded but more importantly, the type of goals conceded is alarming. That record is one of the worst in the league and while Lammens has given us a bit more confidence, those lapses in concentration has been our major undoing.
While Amorim says it is a team issue, I believe it is more down to indovidual errors. When you look at the 2nd goal conceded at Forest, it was Dalot who let his man go. Yes the overall side's concentraion disappeared but in that moment, it was down to him.
The goal against Arsenal, Fulham, a couple in the derby, at Brentford, all of these were more individuals who messed up than the team as a whole.
Whatever the case is, we have to improve how we defend.
As for Ronaldo's comments, I didn't actually see it. But he's right to criticize the club. It's not too dissimilar to what he said in that explosive interview before his now infamous second departure.
The club have been poor in many aspects both on the field but more importantly off it. How it's been run has been the real cause of why we are in the predicament we're in.
While I do agree with Amorim that we have to focus more on the now and future rather than the past, we cannot completely ignore what's happened before. We have to learn from it in order to grow and be better otherwise we will be facing the same issues again.
Ruben Amorim | Creator: Carl Recine | Credit: Getty Images Copyright: 2025 Getty Images via Goal