Ruben Amorim has warned that difficult days are still ahead for Manchester United and they will “find out” in a few matches – the Portuguese coach has predicted that “there will be a storm” as he tries to put his stamp on the team. Have been.
Since taking over from Eric ten Hag, Amorim has helped United draw a match at Ipswich, then lead United to consecutive wins over Bodø/Glimt and Everton – but now faces his most disappointing performance with a trip to title favorites Arsenal on Wednesday night. Facing a big test.
If United win at the Emirates Stadium, they will move three points behind the Gunners, but Amorim believes it is wrong to compare his team to Arsenal.
“I want to say different things, but I have to say it again: The storm will come,” Amorim said of his team’s progress.
“We’re going to have tough moments ahead of us and we’ll find out in a few games. And I know that, because I know my players and I know football. So I understand the difference between the teams. We’re at this point. We are putting simple things into the team without training and you feel it.
“Against Everton, they were changing the way they were building. They are a very good team and we had a lot of problems, because you can’t change the captain by calling one thing. We don’t have that training.
“So let’s focus on each game, the performance, what we need to improve on to win games. That’s the focus. I know it’s hard to be the coach of Manchester United and say these things in a press conference.”
“We want to win all the time, no matter what. We’re going to try to win, but we know if you compare us to Arsenal we’re at a different point. It’s the same. We want to win and “We’ll try to go out confident in winning, but we know we need to play very well to win the next football game.”
‘I couldn’t get as much time as Arteta’
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Following Man United’s 4-0 win over Everton at the weekend, Clinton Morrison said it was no ‘old performance’ and he still does not believe they can finish in the top four in the Premier League this season.
Amorim also believes he will not be given the same time and patience to drive change at United as Arsenal counterpart Mikel Arteta got a few seasons ago.
During Arsenal’s renaissance from bottom of the table to title challengers, Arteta’s job security has been under threat.
In his first full season in charge in 2020-21, Arteta took Arsenal just outside the relegation zone at Christmas – while they started the following campaign with three straight defeats without scoring.
Now second-placed Arsenal go into the game with Manchester United as favourites, looking to close the gap on Premier League leaders Liverpool – who have a nine-point buffer.
Amorim said of Arteta, “It’s an amazing job, sometimes coaches are judged just by titles, but what he’s doing at Arsenal, I think it’s amazing. He’s changed the team. Has given.”
“He has brought in some youngsters who are now big talents in this country. I hope that even in difficult moments I will have the same mentality, because I have watched this league for a long time. That is a very good quality in Mikel.” So I think he’s doing a great job.”
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Mikel Arteta praised Bukayo Saka for his constant desire to improve, and responded to the question by comparing the winger’s output to Cristiano Ronaldo.
Asked if Arsenal were being rewarded for keeping faith in Arteta, the new United boss replied: “That’s always important for a coach: to have that confidence.
“But we have to accept that Manchester United is a little different. You guys are putting all the focus here all the time, so I know that sometimes it may not be possible to devote so much time.
“So we’ll try to manage that and try to do things a little more quickly, knowing there’s a massive amount of attention and judgment given to it every day.”
Arteta: Defeat to Amorim two years ago means nothing
Amorim Sporting defeated Arsenal in the Europa League knockout stage last year
Arteta’s only previous meeting with Amorim came two seasons ago when his Arsenal team were defeated by Sporting CP on penalties in the last 16 of the Europa League.
Asked about Amorim’s beginnings in life in Manchester, Arteta said: “You can see his fingerprints straight away. He is very clear.
“He has been very successful at Sporting. After so many years, what he achieved there is remarkable, especially the way he did it.
“It brings energy and new ideas to the club and the players. It’s always something positive but we have to focus on what we have to do.”
Asked whether Arsenal wanted revenge on Amorim after the European shock two seasons ago, Arteta replied: “Not revenge. In football it’s about another opportunity.
“It’s going to be very different. We played against Sporting last week and it was very different from two years ago. It makes no sense.”
