Man Utd suffered another disappointing result under Ruben Amorim and the Portuguese head coach looked a man under pressure in his press conference.
Ruben Amorim
Ruben Amorim's spiky Manchester United press conference might have been a sign he is feeling the pressure
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Press conferences with Ruben Amorim have rarely been short of insight in his time as Manchester United head coach. He is unflinchingly honest, too much so at times, and has often revealed more of himself and his team than some at Carrington would want.
But for the first time on Thursday night, he also looked like someone feeling the pressure. He held his press conference to digest a disappointing draw with West Ham and then went straight into the preview for the game against Wolves, and Amorim's mood was as dark as the Mancunian night.
The United head coach was confrontational when asked about his substitutes against the Hammers, but it got worse when thoughts turned to Wolves. He was pressed on Kobbie Mainoo's lack of action and became defensive. Having let out a laugh when it was suggested Mainoo was an attacking option he could have used off the bench against West Ham, he offered no sign of an olive branch after that.
It was clear the questions on Mainoo were getting to Amorim. "My job is to answer, but I'm trying to answer always the same thing, and you ask me always the same thing," he said when asked if he understood the interest in the player.
When it was put to him that he didn't trust the academy, he shot back with a 'why?' and went defensive on his record of promoting young players and explaining why he hadn't given Shea Lacey a debut, having put the teenager on the bench for the last three games.
Amorim had said he was "frustrated and angry" at the West Ham result and that much was clear to see. His press conference wasn't helping his mood.
He had said "I don't know" on at least three occasions during his responses to questions about Mainoo, which probably summed up how uncomfortable he is talking about the subject more than anything else.
But when it was put to him that he had used that phrase several times later on, he demanded to know when and an awkward moment only ended when the subject was closed by Amorim's press officer, who moved the press conference on.
The only other time Amorim appeared to say "I don't know" was when it was put to him that the players had a mental blockage about moving into the top five, having failed to take that opportunity on a couple of occasions now. He did go on to try and explain why.
It's no surprise Amorim doesn't have all the answers, but his Old Trafford reign is back in the spotlight. A month that should have been an opportunity has started badly and Monday's trip to Wolves is a banana skin that really could signal the end if it goes badly.
That might be why Amorim is showing signs of feeling the pressure. He has occasionally shown an edgy side in media dealings and was surprised when he arrived in England at the number of obligations he had to fulfil. Although he tries not to speak to his players after disappointing results, his own frustration can linger.
But Thursday night was the spikiest and most volatile he has been so far. He needs a result on Monday to ease the pressure valve.