Amorim: Losing 5 Minutes of Control Led to 2 Goals; But United Would’ve Lost This Game Last Season

Manchester United manager Rúben Amorim attended the post-match press conference following the 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest.

What do you make of the final result of this game?

We lost control of the game for 5 minutes and paid the price. I think we did some things well. I also feel our energy levels dropped, and you could really sense it when that happened.

We can play well, but we haven’t reached our full potential yet. But my feeling is that the players gave their all, really did—they worked hard all week, and today was no different. In the past, if we had a bad five minutes like that and conceded two goals, it would’ve been hard to come back.

Today felt different. You could sense we weren’t going to win, but we weren’t going to lose either. That’s the mentality strong teams sometimes need to have.

We had a big chance to win at the end, but we dropped two points. We could’ve done better.

As you said, a positive is the resilience the team has built over the last 12 months—not just today, but maybe in recent weeks. How has the team managed that?

It’s about how you do it. I think we went through a lot last year; we wanted to win and overcome those difficulties, but now we know how to do it. We just need to stay focused in the last 10 minutes of games—that’s part of football.

In the past, we might’ve lost everything because of defensive positioning and how we played. But today, it felt different. I think we’ve improved in that area.

We got some things right, but more importantly, we have the potential to play better—and that’s our goal.

You’ve touched on this a bit, but do you think if this game had happened last season, you would’ve lost?

Yes. I think if [the opponents] could’ve scored more, they would’ve. That’s my feeling.

Where does that resilience you mentioned come from?

We know each other better. We talk more about the essence of football, and we’ve shown that this year: we go through dips, but suddenly we string three good games together. That’s football, and that’s how matches go.

When we’re in form, we score, and you can feel we’re in control. At half-time, then the start of the second half, we struggled. We had a five-minute spell where we were disjointed, which is enough in the Premier League, but we managed to recover from it. That feels good.

What was the thinking behind the substitutions in the second half? Sometimes you make five changes, but today only two, and they were mostly defenders.

I don’t think we would’ve played better if we’d brought on more forwards. If you watch Dalot, you’ll see he often had space to cross when he got the ball, but his right foot always cut inside, not finding the gaps.

Dorgu is different—when you get the ball, you do the same, running wide to cross where there’s space.

If you want to cut inside, Cunha is always there to receive. Mazraoui, if you look at the final stages of the second half, he was always finding space to drive forward. He’s a full-back, so we try to use players’ strengths.

It’s not about ability—we have great players on the bench—but sometimes I feel if I keep stopping play, I’ll mess things up. I think we improved in the second half. My feeling was that I wouldn’t change anything in the attacking areas.

We have talent, maybe. I know Amad can do better, but I also know he’s dangerous in one-on-one situations. Sometimes we rely too much on a player who’s not in form to turn the game around.

He did score, but we had the potential to do better and dropped two points today.

Rúben, I get your point, but how do players like Mainoo or Zirkler feel when they’re on the bench, thinking they could make an impact, but stay seated? How do you handle that?

I’d do the same if Mainoo or Mount were there. Joshua is better. It’s a bit like Cunha dropping into midfield. If you watched the game, you’ll see we needed someone in the box, and Šeško was the best fit.

Sometimes that’s how games go, and they know it’s temporary. We try to do what’s best. It’s not about the quality of our bench—plus, there are so many games.

Rúben, conceding two goals in such a short time—does that show you can’t get complacent as a coach? Does it also indicate there are still defensive weaknesses to fix in the league? Those two goals were disappointing.

It’s due to many factors. I understand our current momentum. There’s no fundamental change compared to recent weeks.

It’s just confidence and results that differ. Your view of our team might be different, but my view of our potential hasn’t changed. So my job is to try to keep the team balanced. As for the first goal, that was a risk.

I wanted Amad to play as a right wing-back, but defensively he’s not the best. So I just thought… I felt if we pressed high, if we had more men forward to control the game, it would be better. If I’d brought on another player, maybe we’d have defended better.

It’s like a gamble, and we’re trying that, adjusting tactical traits every game. But it’s not just about defense—it’s about the team and the club’s overall state.

You keep talking about confidence. Do you think your team is more confident when playing at home?

Yes. I think it shows in that feeling during the first transitions. You saw today, there were many transitions when they had the ball.

Playing at home, you feel the crowd’s atmosphere. That’s why Old Trafford is so important for us, especially at this stage.