Nottingham Forest 2-2 Manchester United match reaction and review
Man Utd scored late to secure a 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.
Ruben Amorim defended his decision not to make an attacking change after Manchester United drew 2-2 with Nottingham Forest in the Premier League. United extended their unbeaten run to four matches but saw their three-game winning run come to an end on Saturday afternoon.
Casemiro gave United the lead in controversial circumstances when he headed in from a dubious corner kick just before half-time, but Forest responded well with two goals in the space of 90 seconds after the restart. Amorim made two defensive changes as United pushed for an equaliser, but opted to stick with the same forward line that had struggled from the start.
Patrick Dorgu and Noussair Mazraoui came on for Diogo Dalot and Leny Yoro in the second half, which meant that Kobbie Mainoo, Mason Mount and Joshua Zirkzee all remained unused substitutes at the City Ground. It marked the first time United have got a point after falling behind since they drew with Bournemouth on 27 April, though some might feel it could have been more had they refreshed their forward line.
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Why United didn't use Mainoo and Zirkzee vs Nottingham Forest
Speaking after the 2-2 draw with Nottingham Forest, Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim explained the decision to stick with the same attack throughout the match.
Amorim felt he had to persevere with the physical presence of Benjamin Sesko in the forward line, while it made little sense to replace club captain Bruno Fernandes with Kobbie Mainoo. The Portuguese head coach is adamant that those in reserve will get a chance at some point and insisted his latest selection decision was simply due to the 'characteristics' of the match.
"No, I could do the same thing if Kobbie Mainoo or Mason Mount was there also Kobbie Mainoo or Josh," he said after the draw. "Then you have to imagine the game. Josh is better; it's a little bit like Cunha, playing between the lines. And if you see the game, we have a guy that needs to be inside the box and Ben is the best one to do that.
"Sometimes it is the characteristics of the games. And they know that it's just a moment, and we try to do our best. It's nothing to do with the quality that we have on the bench. And you have a lot of games that happen."
Mainoo and Zirkzee are both unhappy with their lack of playing time so far this season and could look to leave United in the January transfer window. Mainoo has yet to start a Premier League match this campaign, while Zirkzee has played the second-fewest minutes of anyone still at the club.
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