Ruben Amorim spoke ahead of what will be another crunch game for the MUFC manager who will no doubt come under scrutiny should he not get a positive result against the Blues.
Starting off with good news and the manager has confirmed that both Cunha and Mount will be in the squad for tomorrow. He even confirmed that the final member of the 'bomb squad' Malacia has returned to training with the U21s. However, defender Dalot will still be absent and so too the butcher Martinez.
On the butcher, Amorim explained how they really miss Martinez, specifically his aggression. "We need Licha in this team."
The Portuguese even joked about how co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe offered him a new contract when the billionaire flew into Carrington yesterday.
I suppose it's good to see the manager smiling despite being in a difficult situation.
He confirmed that their meeting was to show support for Amorim and that they know "it's a long project."
While he has the backing of the board, Amorim acknowledged that they have to win games as he feels that Man Utd is the club "with more pressure than any in the world."
He then went on to say that last season, he was unhappy with the style of play but that this season, there has been improvements, "until the boxes." He wants his team to be more aggressive and clinical in the 18-yard areas but with everything else, feels his side are "in a better place."
Amorim was also quite honest post the derby defeat regarding issues behind the scenes. He didn't reveal much and when asked about it, his response was very secretive again: "You know more or less. And you've been here for a while and you have your sources. So you know what I was talking about."
With a returning Garnacho, Amorim didn't want to focus on a player who is "not our player", but more on the game itself and those returning to his matchday squad.
Once more, he reiterated the fact that he is happy with the play style until they reach the boxes. With a week off between games, Amorim used this time to analyze the previous game (derby defeat) and the next game.
While all the stats also point out to improvements in United's game, it counts for little and less if chances aren't taken, which is what Amorim said. He added that all 3 goals at City were avoidable and that his team are being "naive."
Final Thoughts
It is a big boost to have Cunha and Mount back. I think they were two of our better players before they got injured and had left a noticeable difference whilst they were absent.
The same can be said of Martinez although he has obviously been out for much longer. I think with him as LCB instead of Shaw, his aggression and ability on the ball, will make a huge difference to this team and style of play.
Perhaps Amorim was so praising of him because maybe he wants to do what everyone is saying and push Martinez into midfield due to his calmness and composure in possession, which will then allow Bruno to be part of the attack. None of our other defenders have this ability on the ball so it might make sense as to why he's desperate for the butcher's return.
It's good that Amorim is receiving the backing of the board. I think it's about time we stuck through the tough periods with a manager and try to get things right instead of doing what we always do and sack them whenever things go wrong.
The problem is that things aren't a little bad, they're HORRIFICLY BAD. RIDICULOUSLY BAD. ABSOLUTELY SHITE!
As much as they back him, I'm sure that should things continue as they are (or God forbid get worse), they may think twice about keeping him in charge.
Amorim talks about how they all acknowledge that it's a long-term project. It then doesn't make sense to me as to why they wouldn't give him players that helped him now rather than in the future. Signing Sesko over Watkins, Lammens over Martinez and not getting him the midfielder he required, isn't very long-term, at least with this manager.
Ruben needed players for the now, ones who will slot into the side immediately and make an instant impact. We've seen how Sesko has struggled and Lammens hasn't even played, albeit he's only been here for one game. Had we had the more experienced Watkins and Martinez, things may have turned out differently in certain games.
I think we all know he's going to stick with his formation and style. For me, those have never been the problem. We've seen instances where it has worked but it's about being consistent with it. We cannot have moments of good play. This is why we end up losing games and dropping silly points with people then pointing out the system as a problem.
I know in my preview I said maybe he should change things up, but every time I look at the stats and the games, I can see that we aren't as bad as the league position and results may suggest. It's just because of how terrible things are that makes me think that he needs to change something in order to get the results he needs to survive.
I agree with the manager that when it comes to the boxes, we defend poorly and aren't clinical. However, I disagree when he says that the rest of the play is okay.
We can all see that the midfield is a massive issue, mainly because Bruno is playing in there. This is what many believe will truly get him sacked because having a player like him in midfield leaves us wide open. He also doesn't track runners and we don't get the best out of his attacking abilities in a deeper position.
Surely he can see that it isn't working as well?
The problem is, is that he seems hell bent on making it work with the skipper in midfield. If he continues to do this (which I believe he will) then we will have the same results we've been having and he'll probably lose his job. On this, he can't blame anyone else.
Ruben Amorim | Creator: Justin Setterfield | Credit: Getty Images Copyright: 2025 Getty Images via Goal
Enzo Maresca | DeFodi Images via Getty Images - Bavarian Football Works