Manchester United got their Premier League Summer Series off to an ideal start as they defeated West Ham United 2-1 at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.
Despite the close score line, Man United largely dominated proceedings, dictating the flow of play throughout the match except for some minor lapses in concentration.
In his post-match TV interview, United manager Ruben Amorim expressed modest satisfaction with his team’s performance.
“It’s not about the result, it’s about the performance. I think we did well for a while, not during all the game. We have a lot to improve, I think we improved a lot also from last season,” he explained.
“We did things right, and of course, it’s the first game, and we need to do better,” he continued, indicating his desire to see his team continue growing.
When asked what needed improvement, Amorim explained: “I think we finished the plays sometimes really fast, we win the ball and we lose the ball because we want to go right away to the goal. We saw last year that sometimes we lost many balls in the build-up.”
“We try to use all the data, all the information that we have from last season, and we have to improve,” Amorim concluded, exhibiting his dedication to continue building up his team’s capabilities ahead of the new season.
Before exiting, Amorim did make special mention of one player who certainly left a positive impact on the field – new signing Matheus Cunha.
“I think he improves the team quite a lot,” Amorim admitted.
“He can run deep, but you can see that he’s one more midfielder when we have the ball. And then he can run with the ball with high tempo,” the United boss explained.
He then went so faras to admit, “Last year, we didn’t have that kind of player, so this kind of player can change the team.”
This was an encouraging performance from United, who appeared miles better than they did against Leeds United in the previous match.
Especially encouraging was Cunha’s performance. So far, he appears to be exactly the kind of player United need, as Amorim himself seems to indicate.
Featured image Shaun Botterill via Getty Images
Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social
Mathew Cohen
A faithful Manchester United supporter, Mathew has worked as a football writer and analyst for SB Nation, FanSided, and now The Peoples Person. Mathew’s heroes include David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Sir Alex Ferguson, all of whom played their part in creating some special childhood memories.
