Ruben Amorim remains upbeat as Manchester United prepare to face Fulham
The setbacks of last season still seem fresh for Manchester United and the fans. The team finished 15th in the Premier League 2024/25 season, and the biggest shock of the season came when they were defeated by Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final. As a result, the club were eliminated from European tournaments in 2025/26. After such a big setback, it was hoped that the new season would give a fresh start.
However, a 1-0 defeat in the very first match against Arsenal made it clear that the road is still tough. United showed brilliance in the early minutes, but Altay Bayindir’s mistake led to Riccardo Calafiori scoring a header. New signing Benjamin Sesko provided some energy as soon as he came on the field. Later, another new signing, Bryan Mbeumo, created a chance to equalise, but David Raya stopped him. Despite the team’s efforts, victory slipped away. Meanwhile, Amorim broke another unwanted record in that game.
Ruben Amorim’s thoughts and expectations ahead of Fulham
Playing away to Fulham will not be easy, and Ruben Amorim expressed his thoughts in a press conference ahead of the match. He said the team is improving as there are now different types of players in the squad that can change the way the game plays out during the match. The Portuguese manager acknowledged that Matheus Cunha brings a different tone to the game, while Sesko can give a different direction as soon as he comes on the pitch. Amorim believed that this diversity is benefiting the team and that more chances are being created than before.
Ruben Amorim remains upbeat as Manchester United prepare to face Fulham.
Ruben Amorim (Via X)
The 40-year-old pointed to a significant improvement despite the defeat against Arsenal. According to him, United did not lose the ball as often in the last match as before, and this was a big step forward in build-up play. The manager who took over mid-season in 2024/25 felt that if the team maintain this improvement and convert chances into goals, they can be ready for any kind of challenge. He also described the team’s mental state as strong and claimed that United can now break down even a team with a strong defence like Fulham. (Via MEN Live Blog). The manager also congratulated the player in the press conference after the defeat against Arsenal for their spirited performance.
“We are better, but also because we have different characteristics, and we can change that during the game. We have more options, and you see we play a different style with Cunha, for example, and then in the end with Sesko because he is a different player and we can use.
We are improving in that department also. We are creating more chances, so we are ready for any kind of game. The biggest improvement we had [vs Arsenal] was that we didn’t lose the ball so many times in build-up. That was really good also for our team.”
Amorim’s emphasis is on not losing the ball, and this is indeed important for United. The biggest problem last season was that the team lost possession without reason, and the opposition took advantage of it. If the build-up remains stable, it will be easy to build pressure against Fulham.
However, the question is, will this alone be enough? Strikers with different styles like Cunha and Sesko give variety to the team, but the Arsenal match also showed that creating chances and converting them into goals are two different things. United not only need variety but also accurate finishing against a disciplined defence like Fulham.
Amorim said that it is true that we are creating more chances, but it will not make any difference unless the goalkeeper is beaten repeatedly. We think a win against Fulham won’t be easy, but if United stay patient and show composure in the build-up, a positive result can be achieved.