Ruben Amorim believes Manchester United have shown greater freedom, fitness and confidence this season than last.
The Red Devils have undergone a summer of transformation following a crushing defeat to Tottenham in the Europa League final, the club's worst top-flight performance for half a century.
Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Cesko have been added to a squad that was unbeaten in pre-season and produced an encouraging performance in the Premier League opener against Arsenal on Sunday.
A blunder by second goalkeeper Altay Bayindir was decisive, leading to a 0-1 defeat, but Amorim highlighted the positive aspects of the game and the overall progress ahead of the upcoming match against Fulham.
“When we go out on the field, the spectators notice increased self-confidence,” the team’s coach noted.
“It feels like the team is more relaxed and this dynamic can be seen in all the opening games of the season. However, every weekend is a new challenge that requires maximum readiness.
The final result does not always depend on us, but we must make every effort to win. The key is to maintain stability in both details and fundamental aspects.”
When asked about the reasons for the increased emancipation of the footballers, he replied: “Successful performances, including pre-season, naturally strengthen self-confidence.
“This allows for more in-depth work in training, a better understanding of our game model. Footballers stop constantly asking questions about actions in specific situations – they already have this knowledge. However, a lot is determined by the context, it is difficult to single out a single reason.”
Amorim notes progress not only in the psychological but also in the functional aspect, which, in his opinion, remained underdeveloped since the arrival of Erik ten Hag in November.
“Statistical indicators confirm this,” the specialist said. “Confidence allows you to predict the development of events and be at the right points in a timely manner.
“In the match against Arsenal, we created chances, although sometimes we were forced to send the ball forward. However, the players' reaction to the second balls, the fight in one-on-ones – the team became stronger and more efficient in returning to position.
“Remember the moments at the corner flag, especially the moment when (Martin) Odegaard was running with the ball. Our players showed impressive speed, including even Casemiro – his pace was different.
“When you look at these aspects from the start of the season, you see the systematic nature of the changes – this is extremely important.”
Lisandro Martinez, who scored the winner at Craven Cottage in January, and Noussair Mazraoui will miss Sunday's game, while there remains uncertainty over the availability of Andre Onana, who has recovered from a hamstring injury but was not included in the Arsenal squad.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
