Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has praised Altay Bayindir and Joshua Zirkzee for their resilience and determination, following the club’s FA Cup third-round win over Arsenal.
United battled hard for an hour with 10 men after Diogo Dalot’s red card to take the clash to penalties and eventually overcome their hosts.
Bayindir saved Martin Odegaard’s penalty in normal time and also denied Kai Havertz from the spot kick in the ensuing penalty shootout. Additionally, the Turkish goalkeeper came up with several other crucial stops that kept United in the game.
It was Zirkzee who stepped up to convert the winning penalty in United’s 5-3 shootout triumph at the Emirates.
It was a massive turnaround for the two players, who have had very difficult spells at United for different reasons. Bayindir has struggled to get regular playing time and has had to be content with playing the role of Andre Onana’s understudy.
Last month, Bayindir was at fault for at least two of the four goals conceded as the Red Devils were dumped out of the Carabao Cup by Tottenham Hotspur. Meanwhile, Zirkzee was booed off the pitch by his own fans after being substituted in the 33rd minute of the 2-0 home defeat to Newcastle.
Speaking in his post-match press conference after beating Arsenal, Amorim told reporters about the two players, “It’s really important not just for them but for all the players. Your life as a footballer has cycles and moments and sometimes in one week your life can change.”
“You can see with Altay. Against Tottenham, everyone was pointing the finger for Altay and I understand that, today he was our hero.”
“[The penalty save] was really important because it gave us more strength and with less one player it’s really hard to press. A team like Arsenal with 11 players – imagine with ten players. And if you are in disadvantage it’s really hard, because they can control the ball, they were already controlling the ball in a lot of moments so it was vital to draw the game.”
“Joshua a couple of weeks ago, he had a small problem with our fans and today every time he goes on the pitch you feel the support from the fans and then he has the last penalty. Life is like that. You have to continue, be humble, work every day. It’s not just important for them but for their teammates.”
On United’s performance, Amorim relayed, “Especially in the first half we played better than in the first game. We were better in set-pieces today, more aggressive, we showed spirit, even with 10 men.”
“The sending-off was really hard on us. There were some opportunities from Arsenal. The players were really tired. But I felt since the first minute today was our day. And I felt a connection with our fans.”
The Portuguese coach added, “When we score first it helps us to suffer. It’s more strength to suffer.”
“We can calm down the game. We are understanding more the way we play – sometimes not playing well but you can control the game in certain moments. It’s clear we’re improving with the way we suffer. It’s a good thing for a team.”
United are back in action on Thursday when they face Southampton at Old Trafford.
Featured image Julian Finney 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!
