Ruben Amorim will be pleased with the progress his Manchester United side showed in the win over West Ham.
Manchester United’s pre-season fixtures started with a rather dull draw against Leeds United, but there was much more to be excited about in the 2-1 win over West Ham.
Bruno Fernandes scored a brilliant brace to ultimately give the Red Devils a win in New Jersey, but there were plenty of other impressive performers.
New signing Bryan Mbeumo was left out of the squad as his pre-season preparations continue, but there were standout displays across the entire pitch.
Photo by Emilee Chinn – Premier League/Getty ImagesRuben Amorim praises Man United stars vs West Ham
Against Leeds, Amorim wasn’t entirely convinced by his side’s performance, suggesting there was a “lack of pace” in midfield.
However, he switched up his starting XI for the West Ham match, giving starters a full 70 minutes before swapping out for the second team.
After the full-time whistle, Amorim spoke to MUTV and picked out four players in particular who impressed.
“All the guys. I don’t want to talk specifically, but Rasmus did well. Matheus Cunha is the kind of player who can help us a lot because he can run with the ball, we missed that last year,” Amorim said.
“The midfielders in the first half, Kobbie and Manu [Ugarte], really good. I’m not going to talk about the second team because it’s really hard for them 11 players to go to the pitch.
“I really like the team, but there are a lot of things to improve.”
Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte are improving in midfield
The midfield department has been a major talking point in recent weeks, with Amorim wanting an “athletic” midfielder to be signed this summer.
With Christian Eriksen leaving and Casemiro not getting any younger, United’s midfield options have only weakened since last season.
However, the performance against West Ham shows that Mainoo and Ugarte can work well together in a central pairing – they pushed high, won the ball back frequently and played with plenty of intensity and energy.
Mainoo executed Amorim’s demands laid out to him before kick-off, and both him and Ugarte have shown signs of improvement.
The Red Devils will still likely need extra depth in midfield with Toby Collyer and Sekou Kone not yet ready to step up into the first team on a regular basis, but the signs are promising.