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Ruben Amorim spots ‘really important’ Manchester United positive in Bodo/Glimt win
There were some familiar failings and some obvious improvements as Manchester United battled back to beat Bodo/Glimt in the Europa League on Ruben Amorim’s Old Trafford debut.
Unsurprisingly, Ruben Amorim is keen to fix the issues which plagued Erik ten Hag’s final 18 months or so in the Manchester United hotseat.
The former Sporting boss is determined to instil a greater mental fortitude into the Red Devils squad. Thus, ensuring that the habit of throwing away one, two or even three-goal leads can quickly become a thing of the past.
The manner in which Man United slipped off the boil after Marcus Rashford’s opener at Ipswich, and as Bodo/Glimt turned a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead to rain on Ruben Amorim’s Old Trafford parade, provided a reminder of the weaknesses that still remain.
Amorim feels greater physicality is needed at Man United too. Opposition teams would cut through Ten Hag’s often non-existent midfield like a knife through warm temperature Lurpack, and Bodo/Glimt certainly posed plenty of problems in transition too.
So, plenty to work on then for Amorim and Man United’s new backroom staff.
Ruben Amorim sees positives and negatives in Manchester United win
“Of course, I see what everybody sees. Good moments, some difficult moments, some confusion and in the end trying to hold the result. The lads ran until the end, and in the end we won,” Amorim smiles.
“It was like a real ride. We started very well then suffered two goals in two transitions. I like the way our players keep trying to play our game. We had problems in the past where we gave away the ball too much. The mindset now is to keep the ball.”
Yet, it would be churlish to ignore the obvious differences in Manchester United’s rhythm and their patterns of play after just two weeks under the 39-year-old Portuguese.
“We improved certain things,” Amorim explains. “We showed more moments with the ball, controlled more of the tempo. We suffered two goals in transitions but we controlled the game.”
The thing that delighted Amorim the most, meanwhile, was the fact that Manchester United did not let their heads drop – as was so often the case under Ten Hag – following Bodo/Glimt’s rapid-fire turnaround.
Amorim receives ‘a message’ as Rasmus Hojlund breaks Bodo/Glimt hearts
Amorim wants more from Rasmus Hojlund too. But, amid concerns over United’s goalscoring potential, the Dane produced a pair of finishes Ruud van Nistelrooy himself would have been proud off as the Red Devils turned around the turnaround.
A wonderful touch and volley following Noussair Mazraoui’s fine assist put United level on the brink of half-time, before Hojlund tapped in at the back post as Mason Mount and Manuel Ugarte combined down the right-hand side.
“It was really important for me to see that we suffered two goals in a difficult moment and [the players] continued to play in the same way,” Amorim explains. “That is a message for me.
“We turned around the game and we deserved it. The last ten minutes was altogether suffering, the [entire] stadium, and we won.
“The win is always more important because [the performance] is not everything. In this moment, winning is more important. When you are at a club like our club, you have to win first and then we will reach a point where wining is not enough.
“But we improved already from the Ipswich game.”
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