Ruben Amorim believes Manchester United have undergone a significant transformation since last season and his new £200m squad, including Benjamin Cesc, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, have the potential to lead the club to glory; The Red Devils visit Fulham on Super Sunday, live on Sky Sports from 4pm.
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Ruben Amorim has said new signing Benjamin Cesko has exceeded his expectations, expressing confidence that he will become the team's main goalscorer for the long term.
Manchester United rarely display moderation, instead demonstrating ever-increasing extremes.
Let me explain my idea.
Last season saw United struggle to convert scoring chances and organise attacks, something that was clearly reflected in their 44 Premier League goals, a worse tally than only three teams.
So what did the club do in the summer transfer window? They invested around £200m to address these issues, signing Benjamin Cesc, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.
After much optimism in the first game against Arsenal, which ended in defeat, much of the discussion has now focused on the defence, with the goalkeeping line under scrutiny following a perceived error by Altay Bayindir against Mikel Arteta's side.
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Ruben Amorim has commented on his decision to field Altay Bayindir after the goalkeeper's serious miss led to a narrow defeat to Arsenal.
In his first press conference of the season, the Portuguese admitted that he had learned many lessons over the past year, particularly the importance of protecting the team from the constant media coverage surrounding the club.
Speaking to the United manager ahead of the trip to Craven Cottage on Super Sunday, I put the question straight: how has he protected the highly-criticised goalkeepers this week?
“The first thing I've already explained to my squad is that it's frustrating to see so much criticism and that's natural,” Amorim told Sky Sports News.
“For me, the only way to protect myself and the players is to advise them not to see anything.
“You have to become like a monk, especially in difficult times. Then I try to show the facts, because sometimes what is published does not correspond to reality.
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“Altai made one mistake, but last season they played very consistently – I try to remind the players of this, and also to refute false statements.
“But ultimately, it's up to the players themselves: they should enjoy life, go to training, spend time with their close circle and try to avoid television or the internet.”
Difficulties, gains and freedom – their relationship
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Many players note that the atmosphere and team cohesion feel different.
Yes, there are doubts after the previous coaches and unjustified hopes, but the real positive seems to have arisen with the return to the training base, the arrival of new bright players to the team and a successful opening match against Arsenal.
Amorim noted: “Last autumn I sometimes felt anxious before matches, but now I feel excited – it’s completely different now.”
“We have been through so many hardships together (last season) that it can bring people together – the microclimate in the team is really great.”
“When you see that the team is showing its best side, confidence appears, football starts to flow more easily, and by playing more freely, you become happier.
“And being happier means you work more efficiently every day – it snowballs.”
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Ruben Amorim shares his thoughts on a narrow defeat to Arsenal in the opening game of the 2025/26 Premier League.
Amorim's attacking potential has been boosted by the Premier League-tested Mbeumo and Cunha, both capable of operating as number 10s or centre forwards, sharing duties with youngster Cesko.
The danger they showed against the Gunners – whether it was Cunha's confusing runs or Mbeumo's controlled, speedy runs behind the defence – has given the Old Trafford fans a new lease of life and Amorim are feeling the same.
“We have different options these days, but sometimes football is more than just what happens on the pitch,” Amorim said.
“They [Mbeumo and Cunha] came in at a time when the mood was different, the club was in a different place – sometimes you have a lot of strong players but there are still psychological traumas that affected the dynamics of the team.
“They are able to contribute not only with their game, but also off the pitch. I feel that the guys are more relaxed because they weren't there in the most, most difficult moments – they see a different picture.”
A young Slovenian, Sesko, whom the coach called a “football maniac”, could play a big role in whether Amorim’s team becomes truly “different” this season.
He had already spoken about the potential of 22-year-old Seshko, but I wondered how much pleasure Amorim himself gets from working with and developing such a young player?
Amorim explained: “When you work at a club like this, you strive to have the best players, but you also have to lay the foundations for the future.
“It’s very exciting – I like to study players, analyse videos of their games, collect as much information as possible, but a test match is necessary, and I felt that Cesko exceeded my expectations of him.
“I have to be careful, Cesko is going to be our leading striker for many years to come, so we have to instill that in him, let him adapt, stay calm and enjoy every day because he really is, as you said, a football obsessive.”
“I am genuinely pleased – not only with him, but also with Cunha, Diego (Leon) and Mbeumo – we know that we have the players we need and we know that in the future we will have this base, which is critical for us.”
What will be considered success this season?
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Manchester United vs Arsenal Premier League Highlights
There is only one league game to play but if United can produce the performance they showed against Arsenal on most days, especially without the distractions of European competition, it could open up the possibility of the club improving on last season's 15th place finish.
However, United need to earn that optimism both internally and externally and, as Amorim noted earlier, it is up to the players to fight to change their position.
They can only achieve this by focusing on the process rather than the final goal.
“Success is winning titles, but we don't know yet if that will happen (this season),” Amorim said.
“Right now we can't say that we are definitely fighting for the championship. We need to take step by step, and these steps are to approach each match as if it were the final.”
“We want to be really competitive, we want to dominate games, score goals and make the fans watching us happy… so if we focus on the details and constantly work on ourselves, I'm sure the results will come.”
“I think everyone understands our goal – not this season but in three years’ time – is to win the Premier League.
“We will take the necessary steps to achieve this goal, but at a club of this level, as you understand, every week brings changes, so we have to be prepared for them, not react to the noise, do our job and achieve victories.”
Don't miss Fulham v Manchester United on Super Sunday, with coverage on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event starting at 4pm, kick-off at 4.30pm.
Sourse: skysports.com
