Amorim: We must focus on performing

Ruben Amorim feels his Manchester United players need to focus on their performance after being held to a 1-1 draw at Fulham on Sunday.

The Reds had to settle for a point at Craven Cottage in our first away match of the Premier League season. Both goals came in the second period, as Leny Yoro’s header which deflected in off Rodrigo Muniz was cancelled out by Emile Smith Rowe’s finish.

United were left to rue missed opportunities – particularly in the first half – as Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno saved from Matheus Cunha and captain Bruno Fernandes, who produced a rare miss from the penalty spot.

Scroll down to watch the manager’s post-match interview with MUTV and read his comments to Sky Sports and BBC Radio 5 Live…

Amorim: We gave everything Video

Amorim: We gave everything

INTERVIEW | Ruben Amorim speaks to MUTV’s Ben Ibson after our draw at Craven Cottage…

WE WERE THINKING ABOUT THE RESULT

“I think we can do better but we are putting in the effort so that is the most important thing for me. I think in some moments we did well, especially in the beginning of the game. I felt that after the goal, we were thinking about the result, just the result. This team needs to win games so we need to focus on the performance, what we need to do because if we think about the results, we forget to do the normal things. That was my feeling – we were okay until the [Fulham] goal. We scored a goal and we should do the opposite – so have more possession, push the opponent more but I think we were not smart in that moment.”

I DON’T FEEL A LACK OF URGENCY

“In this moment, we need to think about the performance. Of course I’m not crazy, I know what the feeling is of the players that play in the team that they have to win every match. But I felt that in the past, I don’t feel a lack of urgency in this moment. What I felt is that we missed the penalty, we missed some chances and then we score and I have the feeling that now we have to defend this goal. That is not a lack of urgency, it may be urgency in the opposite side. We just need to focus on our movement and the way we have to play the game.”

WE NEED TO MANAGE THE GAME

“It’s normal [that Fulham are dangerous from corners]. I think we tried to press high and, after one or two times, we need to understand that sometimes we need to manage the game, to wait for the opponent. That was the option of Fulham and sometimes we push the ball to the side too soon. It was quite easy for the opponent to mark us and we wanted to press all of the time. We wanted to do that but sometimes we have to be better in that moment, understand the game, try to drop a little bit and start the pressure, so they had more space than us when they were attacking.”

BRUNO FELT THE RESPONSIBILITY

“I think he’s not used to missing a penalty. He knows the importance that every moment in this context can have a huge impact on the team. I felt that during the game he was not so happy, not so involved because he has so much responsibility and I think he felt that in that moment.”

THE PLAYERS WANT TO WIN GAMES

“That is normal. We just want to win games and they [the players] are humans. They deal with all sorts, they read everything and they know that they need to be better. But for me during the week, it’s completely different. They work really hard, today they work really hard, sometimes not in a good way but they work so with that I can work and with that I’m really confident that we are going to get many wins.”

HOW THE TEAM GOES ABOUT ‘GROWING UP’

“Training, in the game. You need to win to have the feeling to relax a little bit, not in the intensity and the way we play, but maintaining our mind. We suffer a little bit in the end because the momentum changed more with the goal of Fulham.”

CHANGES FOR GRIMSBY

“The way we play, we are going to change because we need to look at the opponent to understand what we need to do to win the game. We want to win. We know that in these kinds of games in the cups, anything is possible. So we need to win, we want to win.”

Recommended:

Back to Top