For 4 matches, Manchester United supporters have been learning to discover their new coach. After two and a half years of a calming Erik ten Hag, Ruben Amorim’s mission is to revive the club. It is far from being won in this institution with a glorious past but incapable of establishing itself sustainably as a serious candidate for the Premier League title despite ever more colossal investments with each transfer window. 12th in the standings, the Portuguese was quick to bite the dust, defeated by Arsenal last weekend 2-0.
This is already his first defeat at the head of the Red Devils and he is warning. There will be more to come. “We are a big club, but we are not a big team. We know it, so it’s not a problem to say it. We need to believe in it more. We have done good things, but we feel that there is still a lot to do. We have to be better in the final third”assures the 39-year-old coach at a press conference, as his team prepares to host Nottingham Forest this Saturday (6:30 p.m.).
A problem of effort
According to him, the weight of club history is more difficult to bear than it seems. “This will not change the past glory but our players must understand that our situation is difficult. We are not the best team in the championship, but our past is the best in the championship.» He believes, for example, that his team is not making enough effort. “We have a problem, but we need to focus on the small details. For example, it’s impossible to win the Premier League without a team that doesn’t run.”.
With an average of 107.7 kilometers covered per match, Manchester United is, for example, the 15th team in this ranking in England. “We can make a starting XI with the best players on the planet, but without running, they will not win. We have to run like mad dogs or we won’t winexplains Amorim, who continues his warning. The problem is whether they can cope with it. If they are used to it in training, they will do it in matches. They can improve. You can’t be faster, but you can run more in training.» This has the merit of being clear.
