In the 2-0 loss to West Ham, Manuel Ugarte’s inability to track back proved costly and immediately led to the visitors’ second goal. Ruben Amorim, the manager of Manchester United, offered his opinion on this perplexing moment.
United suffered their 17th Premier League loss of the year thanks to goals from Tomas Soucek and Jarrod Bowen in either half.
Both goals were the result of United’s utterly awful defense. The second was especially incriminating. Mohammed Kudus dispossessed Ugarte, who remained on the ground rather than returning to assist his team. Bowen put the ball in Altay Bayindir’s net a short while later.
After the final whistle, Amorim spoke to reporters and had his say on this moment and the game in general.
Asked about Leny Yoro, who was withdrawn in the second half with an injury, Amorim stated, “We have to assess Leny in a better way tomorrow. He felt something but I think it could be a small thing.”
On the performance, Amorim answered, “I think it’s quite similar [to] some games that we had here. Against Wolves it was a little bit the same. We create more chances than the opponent, but the lack of urgency to protect our goal in the few times that West Ham were near our box…we had a lack of urgency.”
“We were near the box and we had a lack of urgency. We need to be more aggressive. If you can’t score with the first ball, the second ball, if we cross the ball, if we are aggressive, we can score.”
“We had lack of pace, we have to do so much better and for me the biggest concern is that feeling that it’s okay and because we can’t change our position so much, then it’s okay.”
“That is the biggest problem at our club at this moment because we are losing the feeling that we are a massive club and it’s the end of the world to lose a game at home. So I think that is the biggest concern in our club.”
Asked how it feels to look at the Premier League table and see United in 16th place, Amorim replied, “I think I feel what a manager of Manchester United would feel in that position – embarrassed. And it’s hard to accept and I think everybody has to think seriously about a lot of things here. So everybody is thinking about the final but that’s not the issue in this moment.”
“We have bigger things to think [about] and we have to change a lot of things at the end of the season.”
Amorim was informed by a journalist that Ugarte simply remained on his knees and made no effort to track back after losing the ball during the build-up to Bowen’s goal. He then questioned the United head coach on how he can expect to succeed with players that have such mindset.
Amorim responded, “I don’t want to talk about specific players. It’s a team thing. When it’s a team thing, it’s a manager thing. We will have to address that. It has to be a lack of urgency to defend the box and attack the box still.
The Portuguese tactician conceded that there remains a culture issue at United.
“Yeah [there’s a culture issue]. It’s the feeling. I will not talk about culture because we are talking about this moment but it’s a feeling that is the most dangerous feeling to have in a big club.”
Asked about whether he’s worried by the fact he has so far been unable to address glaring issues like urgency, Amorim explained, “I think if you…of course it’s a different competition but in the Europa League, we don’t play quite well but we have a little bit of urgency. We cannot lose the games, we have to win them and we manage to find a way to win the games and take advantage, for example if Athletic Club has a player sent off.”
“We are so focused and then you see these games in the Premier League, sometimes we are not focused and we don’t have that feeling that we need to win to go to the next stage like we have in the Europa League. So it’s something that is mentally in our team.”
Amorim declined to provide a firm response when asked if his players are selectively selecting which games are crucial and which are not, stating that the team’s lack of urgency is the main issue.
Amorim acknowledged that, in contrast to past years, he is shocked that the supporters are not jeering him and his team.
“I think they are doing…it’s hard to say something about our fans and everybody, because there is no explanation, no matter the contest. And I’m talking here [because] I’m the biggest person responsible for that. We need to change a lot of things during the summer.”
On whether those players who lack urgency and feel it’s ok to lose can be coached to fix their mentality or they will just have to be moved on, Amorim told reporters, “I don’t know and I don’t want to talk about players. I’m talking about myself, the culture at the club and the culture in the team. I have a feeling that we need to change that and we need to be really strong in the summer and be brave because we will not have a next season like this.”
“If we start like this or if the feeling is still here, we should give the space to different people.”
Amorim emphasized that the final is not a concern of his, adding that it is the club’s “smallest problem.” He pointed out that resolving the more fundamental problems is the only way United can rise again.
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