Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has pointed out a major problem that he spotted as his side cruised to a 3-2 victory over Burnley on Saturday.
United secure first win of the season
United headed into the game off the back of a humiliating mid-week defeat at the hands of Grimsby Town in the second round of the EFL Cup.
Pressure has been mounting on Amorim and the contest against Burnley was simply a must-win.
Josh Cullen’s own goal gave the Red Devils a deserved lead in the first half but Lyle Foster equalised for Burnley just 10 minutes after the interval.
Bryan Mbeumo hit back for United almost immediately, with the Cameroonian tapping home a Diogo Dalot cross. But, United could not hold on and Burnley drew level once again courtesy of Jaidon Anthony.
It appeared that the two sides would have to settle for a share of the points but Amad won a penalty for United in stoppage time. Bruno Fernandes stepped up to take the spot-kick and converted to hand United their first win of the 2025/26 campaign.
Amorim’s post-match remarks
Speaking to Premier League Productions after the final whistle, Amorim claimed United could have wrapped up the game by half-time but felt his players “overcomplicated” matters and turned it into a battle.
He said [as quoted by BBC], “It is three points, if you look at the game we should solve it in the first half and control the game.”
“But we are fighting to the last minute because of things we overcomplicate.”
“Look at the first half, we have so many chances to score. You feel you can control the game. But one throw in, one set piece. I shook my head, because sometimes football is like this.”
“We now have two weeks with a lot of opportunities. This was a game we had to win, but we have a lot to do.”
Asked why he couldn’t bring himself to watch Fernandes’ penalty, Amorim answered, “I like to see the image of the fans. What has to be has to be. In that moment, I was thinking, it would be fair to win the game.”
“And I did not think Bruno would miss a second in a row.”
On whether he was thinking about his future before the penalty, Amorim said, “No, I was just thinking Bruno was not going to miss.”
United are next in action on September 14, when they face Manchester City at the Etihad.
Featured image Matt McNulty via Getty Images
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Derick Kinoti
Derick Kinoti is a football writer at The Peoples Person who has covered Manchester United and the game extensively for many years. He is a keen analyst with expertise in SEO and journalism standards. Derick is convinced Wayne Rooney is the true GOAT and won’t hear otherwise!
