Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim shared his candid thoughts following his side’s dramatic 3-1 comeback victory over Southampton at Old Trafford. The Red Devils had to dig deep after going behind to an own goal in the first half and Amorim did not hold back in pointing out areas for improvement, singling out Ugarte, Kobbie Mainoo, Bruno Fernandes, and Leny Yoro for their roles in United’s struggles.
“Playing in this stadium, we lost the last three games here, the pressure is different,” Amorim told TNT Sports. “We try to press the opponent in the build-up, and you can feel the difficulty. Then they link between the lines and create us a lot of problems.”
“We have difficulties to press high at the moment. This team is not used to doing that, and it seems like a lack of enthusiasm. Ugarte is late, Kobbie Mainoo is late, Bruno is going outside, and the ball is inside. Then one transition, and Yoro cannot catch the guy. It’s small things, and then we get nervous without the ball.”
Southampton started the game brightly, and their high pressing troubled Manchester United throughout the first half. The visitors took a deserved lead in the 43rd minute when Ugarte turned the ball into his own net after failing to deal with a corner. United’s defense looked shaky, with Sulemana and Mateus Fernandes causing constant problems. Onana had to make several crucial saves to keep United in the game.
The second half saw a much-improved United side, with Amorim making key substitutions. However, it wasn’t until the 82nd minute that Amad Diallo sparked a remarkable turnaround. The Ivorian forward drilled in the equalizer, combining brilliantly with Eriksen for his second goal just minutes later. Diallo completed his hat-trick deep into stoppage time after capitalizing on a defensive error by Harwood-Bellis, securing a crucial 3-1 win for the Red Devils.”