It’s a sign of the times that Ruben Amorim was happy with Manchester United’s defense-first, 1-1 draw with Arsenal at Old Trafford on Sunday.
His pragmatism was on display after the game as Amorim celebrated the defensive efforts of his Red Devils as well as the tricky times for the club.
RECAP, HIGHLIGHTS — Man United 1-1 Arsenal
The underwhelming start to his tenure at Man United has included some nice results, though, and this draw against the second-place Gunners will serve as a feather, albeit a small one, in his hat.
MORE — Mikel Arteta reaction
Matthijs de Ligt, Leny Yoro, and Victor Lindelof were exceptional at the back, the fullbacks look like Amorim fullbacks, and United might’ve found a late winner on a day with a more confident Rasmus Hojlund at the switch.
And how about that Bruno Fernandes free kick?!
Ruben Amorim reaction — Manchester United boss on Bruno Fernandes free kick, win over Arsenal
“We did well. Of course we don’t want to play like this, defending so much, and giving the ball to the opponent. But for our players, with Lindelof with fewer meters to cover and Casemiro more comfortable, it was the way to play.”
Why they played in a low block: “It’s also the opponent. The last game before Champions League was high pressure from PSV, man to man, and they are harder to mark in this way, In the low block we can control the game better in this way. And we have players who are good in transition. I think Garnacho played a really good game. Today he was amazing.”
“It’s normal. We tried to let the Starting XI until the go because you know when you suffer a goal, the players’ tiredness from the last games is going to show. It worked a little bit but we tried to choose the best moments to press high. We had chances to win the game today.”
Free kicks taken more than 10 yards from wall: “From my side, it was clear for both free kicks. When it’s your free kick you don’t say nothing. When it’s your opponent you try to push. One for us, one for them. We had Bruno and he solved the problem.”
On fan unrest: “Of course. When you coach Manchester United, you cannot play much like that. But the idea is to win the game, not just to show something to the fans. We tried to imagine one way to win the game in this context. I know it’s frustrating as a fan. Sometimes we have to do things that are not popular. In the end, we need the points.”
“I think this club will never die, that is clear. You feel it in the streets, not just in the stadium. This is a big business and maybe all the fans around the league feel its harder to go to the game and pay for the tickets. In the Premier League we receive a lot of money and they have to address that. It’s a difficult situation so we want to give them a lot of effort. In the future we are not going to play like that.”
