Manchester, England – There was no great celebration of Ruben Amorim when the final whistle of referee Sam Barrott ended the Chaotic 3-2 victory of Manchester United against Burnley.
He shook Scott Parker’s hand, obtained a hug of Joshua Zirkzee And walked along the touch and descend the tunnel alone. He sometimes slowed down his rhythm to wipe the Manchester rain from his forehead and applaud fans by shouting messages of encouragement, but that was all. No cries of joy or great handguns – more relief than anything else.
Amorim used his prematch press conference on Friday to explain the emotional turmoil to be a united director, especially in the days following the cup of the Carabao shock in the hands of the fourth level city of Grimsby. “Sometimes I like my players, sometimes I hate my players”, was one of his sound bits.
You imagine that after having looked at his team twice throw an advance against Burnley newly promoted before needing a 97 -minute penalty of Bruno Fernandes – Awarded by Var Stuart Attwell – to win a first victory of the season, the Portuguese coach felt all this and even more in the afternoon.
He joked last season at his 40th birthday that he already felt 50 years. There were moments against Burnley when he looked at 150. However, when the pressure is lit, a victory is a victory, and United finally has one.
At the very least, he should buy Amorim a little time to plot more convincing victories once the Premier League resumes after the international break. The question of whether this team is really able to debate, in particular with Manchester City and Chelsea Up Next.
Amorim, for his part, has already seen too much during his 10 months in charge to get carried away. “I don’t think of a turning point,” he said later. “I had this conversation with you as 10 times. (The game) ended well.
“I think we deserve to win the match, then, all at the moment, every possession near our box, they can score. We are at that time, so we are still starting to chase a lot of things. But we deserved (winning) and we tried until the last minute to score goals. We had our chances and at the end, we deserve to win.”
– Why may be their biggest problem
– The bumps of the United Amorim boss on the council of tactics against Grimsby becomes viral
– Marcotti: seven truths on the transfer market
The result was not the only positive. United created enough opening to have 26 shots on Burnley’s goal, and they could easily have gone to half-time 4-0. Amad Diallo missed a guard after a clinical counterattack involving Zirkzee and Bryan Mbeumo.
Mbeumo, Brentford’s summer signature, scored his first league goal after finding the net against Grimsby. His overall performance has offered the hope that the Cameroon striker could be essential to help the 3-4-3 system very lack of amorim to start clicking.
2:20
Amorim: If you play for Man United, everything is news
Ruben Amorim defended his players following another performance below the word after their 3-2 victory against Burnley.
“It was impressive,” said Amorim when he asked him about the Mbeumo screen. “The way he extended the team, the quality he has in the first touch. You can feel that we are a different team, because when we win the ball, we have a guy who stretches the team. Last season, we had a little trouble with that.”
But United also struggled to defend last season on the 15th disastrous place in the Premier League, and there were more problems against Burnley. After conceding two against Grimsby, they sent two more against the Scott Parker team.
The first was almost a carbon copy of Fulham equalizer at Craven Cottage last weekend – a ball in the outside box from the outside, and an attacker, this time Lyle Fosteroperating gaps between the three rear. Burnley’s second came from another game after the winner of Arsenal at Old Trafford the opening weekend, who came from a corner of the left. This one started with a long throw of Kyle Walker on the same side and ended with Jaidon Anthony stab its finish in the net via a Main Kobbie DETOUR.
There have been elements of United’s play which will lead the fans to separate when they reflect on trips to the Etihad stadium and Anfield before the end of October. For Amorim, however, the most important element was his players’ response after Grimsby’s disaster. Nothing less would have raised serious questions about Amorim’s position.
“When they made the effort, I would always like my players,” said the united boss. “Even when Amad lack this kind of goal. I love Amad, if he gives everything. And I think we must understand that we should always have been at this level of effort.
“The match is not so perfect and you can feel that the team fought a little, especially in the second half, but the effort has always been there. This is the most important thing.”
It was only the fifth victory of Amorim at Old Trafford since he took the post in November. He will know that it will take more than a winner in time to stop against Burnley to change the growing number of skeptics to believers that he is man to save the club from mediocrity of the last 10 years.
At the end of another afternoon of roller coasters filled with theater, Amorim was not in mood to celebrate or speak of turning points. In the final response of his post-match press conference, he admitted, with the situation in which he is, he can only think “day after day”. The victory over Burnley bought him a few others.
