Manchester United are in Premier League action against West Ham on Thursday night, with The Manchester Evening News highlighting key points from Ruben Amorim’s pre-match press conference.
Matheus Cunha is once again available for selection for Man Utd.(Image: Getty Images)Everything you need to know after Ruben Amorim’s pre-match press conference ahead of Manchester United’s clash with West Ham at Old Trafford…
- Injury status confirmed: Ruben Amorim confirmed defender, Harry Maguire, and striker, Benjamin Sesko, remain out of contention for the upcoming game against West Ham. It means they are still unavailable for selection and recovery from their respective issues is ongoing.
- Matheus Cunha’s fitness: A key item on the agenda was to provide an update on the fitness of forward Cunha, who is available for selection. The Brazilian attacker has, recently, returned to training and Amorim admitted he still has ‘more levels to go’.
- Clarity and confidence: Amorim emphasised the importance of explaining the tactical approach to Shea Lacey every day so that he’s completely comfortable on the pitch. He reckons that removing doubts and working on ‘physicality and the speed of the pressure’ will significantly help younger players, such as Lacey, perform better during matches.
- Mental ‘overthinking’: Amorim felt it was crucial to speak with Leny Yoro, because the defender tends to overthink situations on the pitch. Consequently, when he makes a mistake, he struggles and, in turn, finds it difficult to immediately recover his focus in the game as he ‘wants to do everything so well’.
- Inconsistent performance: Amorim says Diogo Dalot is capable of doing many things better, a necessary area of focus he shares with other players in the squad. While Dalot can demonstrate high quality in a ‘very good game’, the manager noted that his consistency sometimes slightly drops off.
- Abuse as a ‘normal expectation’: Amorim reckons that experiencing ‘abuse’ is ‘normal’ in any profession where a person is publicly exposed to criticism. He takes steps to protect himself by consciously choosing not to read or engage with external comments or opinions. “I don’t watch TV when they are talking about Manchester United,” he said.
READ MORE FROM THE PRESS CONFERENCE: Ruben Amorim press conference updates – Man Utd injury latest and Matheus Cunha update ahead of West Ham clash