Ruben Amorim delivers a pragmatic verdict after Manchester United switched off vs Nottingham Forest
Manchester United arrived at the City Ground to face Nottingham Forest with a lot of optimism after three straight wins in the Premier League. They were chasing their fourth win on the trot, but the match thoroughly tested their nerve, only for them to bring back just one point. Ahead of the match, former United winger Nani backed United to still be in the title race this season, and for a moment, the Red Devils played just like that.
The Brazilian defensive midfielder Casemiro was the one to give United the lead in the game with a goal from the corner. However, the decision of the foul did attract a lot of controversy, even after the goal was scored. However, as we know that it does not take much time for football to show its true colours, and Nottingham Forest proved that phrase with their display in the second half.
After the break, United lost focus. Morgan Gibbs-White equalised within three minutes, and Niccolò Savona struck moments later to put Forest ahead. The City Ground roared as fans believed their team would finally secure a first league win since August.
However, for a change, United refused to give up. Amad Diallo, who played in a deeper wing-back role, drifted into space and smashed an excellent volley in the 81st minute to earn a point. The draw felt more like a battle survived than a victory earned, and Ruben Amorim’s words after the match exactly proved that.
Ruben Amorim delivers a pragmatic verdict after Manchester United switched off vs Nottingham Forest.
Has Ruben Amorim finally changed Manchester United’s mindset into one that refuses to crumble under pressure?
What did Amorim say?
After the game, reporters were quick to ask Amorim whether his Manchester United side of last season would have lost this game. The manager had no hesitation in accepting that, and even stated that his last season’s side would have lost by a bigger margin. Amorim highlighted the change in the confidence level, communication, and the increase in maturity of his current United side. The Portuguese manager basically invested his optimism in his project more than the result at the City Ground.
The Red Devils’ boss said the team briefly lost control after half-time but recovered quickly. He praised their fightback, calling it proof of a stronger mindset. The manager believes confidence and clarity define this squad, unlike the one that often collapsed under pressure last season.
“Yeah.”
“By more goals [they would have lost]. That is my feeling.”
“It’s the confidence, of course, it’s completely different. We came from three good games, and we have a different confidence. We understand each other better.”
“We talk more about this, that football is like this, and we proved it this year. We can have bad moments, but suddenly we have three good games. So football is like that. And the game is like that also.”
“We had good moments, we scored, you can sense we are in control of the game when the first half finished. We started the second half, we suffered, disconnected for five minutes, and that’s enough in the Premier League, but we managed to recover from that, which is a good feeling.”
Quote via Manchester Evening News
Meanwhile, if we talk about transfer stuff, reports said Manchester United face transfer competition from Manchester City and Barcelona for young talent Karl Etta Eyong.
What Manchester United did right, and what still holds them back?
Amorim’s system showed both progress and warning signs. His usual 3-4-2-1 formation gave United the proper structure early on. The wing-backs stretched play, with Amad pulling wide while Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo linked attacks quickly.
That setup helped United break Forest’s low block, and Casemiro’s goal came directly from that structure. The team showed resilience through Amad’s late equaliser, reflecting the mental growth Amorim encourages in training. They looked like a side that refuses to panic when plans go wrong.
Still, Forest’s quick comeback exposed weaknesses. The second half revealed gaps on the flanks, where the wing-backs pushed too high and left space for Gibbs-White and Savona to exploit.
Amad’s attacking instincts left the right side open, and Forest punished that space. The midfield lost its balance, failing to control the game whenever the pace increased. These issues show that while Amorim has built belief, the team still struggles to stay organised under pressure.
Last season’s United would have folded after conceding twice. This one fought back and earned something amid the chaos, showing real progress despite its flaws. Still, Amorim should know that resilience alone cannot win titles, and they need to be decisive consistently under pressure.
His players must fix those transition gaps and strengthen their defensive shape. If they manage that, the spirit they showed in Nottingham could become the base for something bigger; perhaps even the revival Nani predicted before the game.