Ruben looks to future, not the past

Ruben Amorim says Manchester United must quickly put the Emirates FA Cup exit to Fulham behind us.

Bruno Fernandes’s equaliser, after Calvin Bassey’s header right at the end of the first half, hauled the Reds level, but there was no further breakthrough and the tie drifted to penalties.

The visitors won the shootout 4-3 to advance into the quarter-finals, where they will meet Crystal Palace at home.

After the game, Amorim spoke to the official broadcasters about United relinquishing our grip on the trophy, and leaving the Europa League as the only competition we are still fighting for in 2024/25…

COSTLY CONCESSION

“We managed to score in the second half but that goal, from a set-piece, we knew, at half-time, it would be harder for us, we’d have to press a little bit higher. We managed to do it, we scored and I think we had the best chances the game. Sometimes, we dropped a little bit. We cannot control all the game, we cannot press high all the game but we managed to understand the game.” 

ON THE BREAK

“Garna [Alejandro Garnacho] is sometimes not in the right position to defend but in the perfect position for transition. We know that and we try to use that. I think it’s also sometimes the quality of the players – Bruno, Casemiro, Josh [Zirkzee] is improving a lot with the connections and he is fighting a lot for every ball all over the pitch. So the players helped us create more chances.”

NO SHOOTOUT LUCK

“In the end, penalties can go both ways and today was not our day. You try to relax the players but they know what we need to do is something more technical. We tried to do it but we do not have the same feeling as against Arsenal. That was our day but this was not our day. We train before this match and then it’s a feeling, we talk with the players and feel the players and then we choose but all the players wanted to take penalties. Sometimes, you don’t have that little bit of luck to get to the next step.”

CREDIT TO BRUNO

“We need Bruno [deep] as he is the best player to do that. I think, in other games, we have a lack of confidence to bring the ball forward. Bruno is the best one to do it at the moment. I’m trying to push Bruno to help the team, to bring the game to the last third of the opponents, that is the idea. If you see the game, he is the guy that gives everything for the shirt and helping the others. He doesn’t like to lose, he wants to win, and that is perfect for our club.”

TRUST IN YOUTH

“I think they have to be prepared. It is our tradition to put young players in the first team. Chido [Obi] did quite good during the game . Of course, they have to improve a lot but they are ready to play for Manchester United.”

THE MOOD

“It’s hard. I’m not going to the locker room after the game. Of course, you saw it, when they went to the dressing room, they are upset and angry. I just focus on improving the performance. You cannot change the past. You have to focus on the future and we are improving. I feel our first 35 minutes were good so that is the focus and we can also create some momentum in the next game.”

THE ULTIMATE GOAL IS THE SAME

“It’s really important. We have to recover the players and push the other players that are out. Like you saw today, they were really tired. We have a lot of recovery to be ready for the game. I think we are improving. I feel the players are more confident with the ball and the positioning. But I can see we need to win games in the end. Winning can help give confidence to the team but to maintain the idea, we show it every day in video an, in training, we use every little bit of training and the games to improve. It’s just to focus on what we have to do. The only way I know how to help my players is not trying to push them up with kind words. It’s just to focus on the next game, the characteristics of the opponents. Evaluate this game and it’s the only wait to gain confidence because I don’t know how to teach my players to be more confident. If we win, we’ll be more confident so let’s focus on the next game.”

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Manchester United bowed out of the Emirates FA Cup in Sunday afternoon’s fifth-round clash with Fulham at Old Trafford.

The first half wasn’t one that will live too long in the memory, but it’s fair to say United were marginally the superior side throughout the 45 minutes.

It was therefore tough to take when Calvin Bassey nodded home the visitors’ opener mere seconds before the conclusion of the half, leaving the Reds an uphill battle on the other side of the break.

Fulham came back out strongly from the interval, but their lead was shattered when Bruno Fernandes found the bottom-right corner with a guided finish from inside the penalty area.

Extra-time and penalties were needed to decide the winner and, unfortunately, it was the visitors who were to advance to the next round of the cup, winning 4-3 in a shootout.

FIRST HALF – LATE SETBACK

The Reds got off to a relatively calm start in the opening five minutes but the early signs were promising, looking at ease on the ball and pressing Fulham well out of possession.

Both sides managed to get the ball into the box in these early moments courtesy of Diogo Dalot and Adama Traore, both on United’s left flank, but neither produced a clear-cut chance.

Our first real opportunity fell to Fernandes just past the 10-minute mark. The United skipper had been commanding from his central base, marshalling his colleagues into their optimum position as per Ruben Amorim’s instructions. He almost found the opener when he struck a powerful effort from the edge of the box, which provoked an unsettled parry behind from Bernd Leno, a sign of the pressure United were applying.

Christian Eriksen — operating in one of two advanced midfield positions — produced the next such incident, curling a goalbound effort from the left wing with his right foot, but Leno was, once again, on hand to beat it away.

Things got a little more frantic midway through the half. For both sides, passes were not always reaching their intended targets, challenges were often coming in half a second too late and there was little asked of either goalkeeper during this period.

When Sasa Lukic arrived late and free in the United penalty area to get his head on an Alex Iwobi cross, it looked as though the visitors could be the ones to profit from the chaos, but the midfielder could only nod the ball some way above the bar.

But then the real hammer blow arrived, almost the last action before the referee blew the half-time whistle.

From a disputed corner, Rodrigo Muniz headed the ball through a packed Reds six-yard box and Calvin Bassey was the first to it, to nod beyond Andre Onana from point-blank range. Heading in goalless probably would have been a fairer representation of the half of football, but Amorim’s men had a deficit to overturn after the break.

SECOND HALF — A CAPTAIN’S INTERVENTION

The Reds emerged ready to take the challenge to the Cottagers after the late setback in the first half, and did so predominately through Diogo Dalot on the left in the early moments. On one occasion, he found Noussair Mazraoui with a whipped ball, but Leno was equal to the question asked by the Morocco international’s header.

There was time for another powered Fernandes effort from distance, which drew a save from the Fulham goalkeeper, but the away side managed to wrestle back control just beyond the hour mark, almost doubling their lead through substitute Emile Smith Rowe but for a fingertip stop from Onana.

Not long had Matthijs de Ligt just put a stop to a dangerous-looking Andreas Pereira attack before, somewhat against the run of play, Fernandes popped up with the leveller.

As at the opening of the half, it was Dalot’s strong running on the left flank that created the chance. The Portugal international found his countryman unmarked in the visitors’ box and our captain handled the rest, rolling his finish neatly beyond the grasp of Leno.

In the blink of an eye, United were back in the game.

The goal, although vital for the Reds, did nothing to settle the tempo of the match.

Within a three minute period, Rodrigo Muniz, Alejandro Garnacho and Pereira had inviting opportunities, consecutively, at opposite ends of the pitch — a snapshot of the back-and-forth nature of the tie.

It seemed set for one moment of magic to decide the FA Cup fate of the two competing sides.

Chances for Harrry Maguire, Smith Rowe, a penalty shout for Bassey’s challenge on Chido Obi and a last-gasp one-on-one for Garnacho all threatened to be that moment, but the biggest moment fell to Chido, who clipped narrowly wide at the death, for what would have been the stuff of dreams for the teenager.

EXTRA-TIME

Some fans inside Old Trafford thought Garnacho had put United ahead with the first chance of extra-time, rocketing an effort from close-range into the side-netting. From an almost identical position with one of the last kicks of the first period, Obi almost curled one beyond Leno, but he managed to get enough on it to send it behind, again denying an historic moment for the Academy youngster.

With both sides tiring, there were fewer chances in the second period. Onana did well to stop shots from Ryan Sessegnon and Willian, and Garnacho looked a lively outlet as usual, but penalties were going to be required to separate these two.

PENALTIES

The shootout was level until United’s fourth kick, when Leno managed to get enough behind Victor Lindelof’s shot to keep it out of his net. Fernandes, Dalot and Casemiro had all found the net before then.

Joshua Zirkzee was next up and experienced the same outcome. United’s fate had been decided; the Reds were bowing out of the FA Cup.

MATCH DETAILS

United: Onana; De Ligt, Maguire (Heaven 91), Yoro (Lindelof 54); Mazraoui, Ugarte (Garnacho 53), Fernandes (c), Dalot; Zirkzee, Eriksen (Casemiro 68); Hojlund (Obi 68).

Subs not used: Graczyk, Murdock.

Goals: Fernandes 71.

Bookings: Ugarte.

Fulham: Leno; Castagne, Bassey, Anderson, Robinson (c); Lukic (Reed 101), Berge; Iwobi (Sessegnon 107), Andreas (Willian 90+3), Traore (Smith Rowe 53); Muniz (Jimenez 90+2).

Subs not used: Benda, Cuenca, Diop, Sessegnon, Cairney.

Goals: Bassey 45+1.

Bookings: Andreas, Anderson.

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Skinner explains injury absences against Leicester

Marc Skinner clarified after the final whistle why a number of Manchester United players were absent from Sunday’s WSL victory over Leicester.

The names of Elisabeth Terland, Jayde Riviere, Simi Awujo and Anna Sandberg were absent from the matchday squad for the visit of the Foxes following the international break. Lisa Naalsund also remained sidelined. But, positively, all are considered “on the cusp” of being available again.

Melvine Malard admirably deputised for Terland up front, but it was a blow for the in-form Norwegian after she had scored in every United game in February.

“Teri took a small break to her wrist, but you can manage these things with splints and so on. We’re hopeful she can potentially come back over the next couple of weeks,” Skinner said of the unfortunate situation.

Discussing United’s Canadian pair, the boss continued: “Jayde was a muscle injury. She played two games back-to-back [for Canada] and you’ve got to look at loading, which is disappointing for us. Simi took a knock in training, which again happens. But, for me, it’s about ensuring they come back.”

Sandberg, who was part of Sweden’s Under-23 squad last month, missed out against Leicester because of a sickness bug.

There is also hope that Naalsund will be available “very soon”, having been ruled out through injury since November.

“It’s really important that as they go away on international duty, they return as best they can be, because they want play this exciting end to the season,” Skinner said.

The next international break is at the start of April. But attention for United now turns to next weekend’s FA Cup quarter-final tie against Sunderland at Leigh Sports Village, with the Reds hoping to continue in the defence of our trophy.

Tickets for that match are available here.

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Manchester United felt the intensity of being back in action so soon after February’s international break for the visit of Leicester City on Sunday afternoon, but still managed to extend the current winning run to a seventh league game.

Leicester fought back admirably in the second half and crafted a number of chances that they ultimately weren’t able to take. Those that did hit the target were gathered expertly by Phallon Tullis-Joyce, who also claimed multiple high crosses to alleviate pressure on the Reds defence.

In Marc Skinner’s words, United’s players, many of whom reported back to Carrington after international duty with only a day or two to train, were “fuming” with the second half. It highlights the standards that the team have come to expect from themselves.

United had dominated the first half and took a 2-0 lead into the break that proved to be enough to claim maximum points come full-time around an hour later.

With Elisabeth Terland not involved due to a knock, Melvine Malard was an addition to the starting line-up in the ‘number-nine’ role – reflective of the digit on her back – and took her opportunity gladly.

Malard was at the heart of everything that was good about the Reds in an attacking sense. She led the line incredibly well and opened the scoring after 19 minutes in superb fashion. The goal was epitome of keeping a cool head when it mattered most, using her pace to latch onto a through pass, before sitting down Leicester goalkeeper with a feint without actually touching the ball. The finish was just as good.

The France international worked well in tandem with Leah Galton all afternoon, laying on our second goal for the relentless winger, and the pair came second and third respectively in the running to be named our Player of the Match, a vote decided by supporters in the United App.

Malard claimed 29 per cent of all selections – to finish narrowly behind our winner – while Galton rounded out the medal places with 10 per cent after her own fine showing.

Today’s honours were claimed, however, by Ella Toone, after our no.7 put on another impressive display just days after helping England to beat world champions Spain at Wembley Stadium.

Ella set up Malard’s all-important opener on the afternoon, threading through a perfect pass to create a one-on-one opportunity, and got the ‘assist before the assist’ after feeding the ball into the latter again in the build-up to Galton’s goal.

Those involvements were the highlight of another impactful showing from Toone, who has arguably been United’s form player so far in 2025.

Thank you to everyone who voted, and congratulations to Tooney on scooping the prize.

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