Ruben Amorim answered questions from the press ahead of a Carabao Cup tie with Grimsby Town. The club continue to search for their first triumph in the Premier League, but the manager made clear "we need time to build the base" of a team unfit to meet the targets many may demand.
‘We need to do rotation’
The Red Devils drew 1-1 at Craven Cottage on Sunday, and on Saturday, they host **Burnley**in their third fixture of the Premier League schedule. There will not be too many midweek matches for the club this campaign, but Amorim asserted he will take every opportunity to give minutes to his players.
“We have three games this week. We have quality players and need to do rotation to win every game.”
The team finished in 15th place last term in the league, but the Europa League looked like a lifeline in their fight for European football. However, they suffered a 1-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur in the final and will be without continental competition for the first time in over a decade. In the eyes of the manager, that situation is not the worst position to be in for a side in drastic need of improvement.
*“It's a normal thing that happened in in in other in other clubs. I think we were not prepared to play Europe. That is my feeling to have strong games in Champions League and then Premier League. We need time to develop as a team. They need to fight for the places and then everything can change. Sometimes one is playing in other moments other guys are going to play and we have the cups.”*
The Portuguese portrayed this conviction as a phase in the project. He hopes to be in the dugout for long enough to see the squad earn the right to share minutes across two highly competitive fronts.
“I said last season. We need time to prepare every game. The games are really competitive and we need time to build the base and then in the future to move forward and that we'll reach one moment that we need to have Europe for everybody to play games.”
‘He is near’
Amorim answered a few questions on some specific players who are in the first team squad.
The two top goalkeepers in the plans have been problematic. Altay Bayindir is filling in for Andre Onana, who has been guilty of many blunders over the last two years. But the Turk has followed suit, as he could not control his penalty area when Riccardo Calafiori claimed the winner for Arsenal.
**Fulham**filed into the danger zone to trouble him, but the 40-year-old does not see this as a reflection on his faults. The physicality of the English top tier can be a challenge for many shot stoppers.
*“You are focused a lot on the opponent's corners, but if you remember this game, it was 10 20 minutes ago. We had our chances and we scored one goal set pieces, we had the penalty, we had at least one in the end near the post. So, and you can see every game in Premier League. Tell me one game that you don't see a big occasion from corners. So I think that will happen in every game.”*
Two defenders have been missing from the roster for some time. Lisandro Martinez will be absent for the long term after his ACL injury against Crystal Palace last season. Noussair Mazraoui missed the opening two weeks with a thigh issue, and he is close to completion in his rehab process.
“Maybe he's going to return next week. We will see. But he is near. We are just finishing some drills with him to make sure that he's not going to have another problem.”
Rasmus Højlund has been sitting on the sidelines amid rumours of a permanent exit. Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, and Benjamin Sesko have signed for a total of just under £200 million in this window, while Joshua Zirkzee is still in the squad a year after his move from Bologna.
The manager made clear that he is not ruling any available options out of the plans for this week.
“All the players are available then we make the choice to get the best starting 11 to win every game.”