Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim said he's “not going to risk anyone”
in our upcoming Premier League game against Leeds United.
The Reds were held to a point at Old Trafford by Wolverhampton Wanderers, after Joshua Zirkzee's opener was cancelled out by a Ladislav Krejci header in the first half.
Amorim was speaking to journalists inside the stadium after that draw, a game which a number of players were missing either through injury or their participation in the Africa Cup of Nations, and revealed he is not going to rush anyone back despite the disappointing result.
Keep scrolling to read, and watch, that answer and everything else the United boss had to say...
Evening Ruben, I know you won’t want to make excuses, but maybe the lack of fluidity we saw tonight. Do you put that down to players you’re maybe missing this evening?
“That is normal, but we didn't use that excuse against Newcastle. We are not going to use [it] today. But, of course, if you see the game, I understand why we played the way we played today, the lack of fluidity, lack of one against one. We knew that would be a completely different game compared to Newcastle because [against] Newcastle, we have more space to play. We didn't have to work the play so much and today, we have difficulties in that aspect and that is clear.”
Appreciate it's a different game to Newcastle, but could you just explain the tactical tweaks, you know, moving [Patrick Chinazaekpere] Dorgu back to the left and going back with a three?
“No, we knew that they will play with a five. They will use the width. And, today, was just to do that and then sometimes building up with him open or closed with Luke Shaw doing the opposite. So, we try to arrange the right situations for the situation that we have in the moment.”
Ruben, sorry, you've said a lot that you know that this team is not the finished article, but is this tonight an example that you need more creativity in your squad? There was a lack of creativity and it feels as though there's some players within your squad who can't give you what you need, and you need greater depth.
“No, I think we are in one situation that you have a lot of players out in the same time. Of course, when you play Casemiro and [Manuel] Ugarte, in the middle, you know that is different. When you have Kobbie Mainoo or Mason Mount or Bruno [Fernandes], that is normal. So, we just need to recover our players, the players from AFCON to return, and then the fluidity is going to be different. But again, we won the last one. Today, we could [have] won with the players that we have. We had lack of fluidity, and then lack of quality, and then lack of creation of chances. And then we suffer a goal with set-pieces with the team that, and [yet] we are tall in this moment. So, these details are important to win these games in difficult moments.”
Hi Ruben, is it particularly difficult for the young players who you’re having to send on in pretty invidious circumstances to try and have that effect? Whereas, I suppose, if you had a fuller squad, you'd be able to bring them in and it’d be easier for them.
“Yeah, it's completely different and you know that when there is a lot of new people in different positions and you put one young kid [in], he will struggle. It's completely different when you have a base, everything is working well, and you can give minutes to a young kid. You look at the game, and you understand clearly and you see our team and you know that you are going to struggle in certain aspects. I think that was what happened during the game.
“
With Josh Zirkzee, who, obviously, he's a much more experienced player. I've seen your comments about why he came off, but is there an element of a risk there where you take off an experienced player and you put on quite a young player?
“Oh, we need to do what the game was asking. We were struggling. They put a lot of men in the middle of the park, and we managed to, with Jack [Fletcher], we balanced that. I think we recovered the ball faster in the second half, and the first half, we struggled a little bit to recover the ball. So, I'm just looking not for their age and their experience, in this moment, I just look what I can do to win the game.”
Just on the Zirkzee substitution, was that tactical or did he have a knock?
“No, no, no, it was just tactical. Tactical.”
Ruben, the home form was encouraging at the start of the season, but that's now one win in five at home, and most of the opponents have been from the lower end of the table. Is it an extra pressure being at home? Why do you think this is happening? It wasn't just tonight when it's been a struggle at home.
“I think against Everton, we clearly underperform. West Ham, we had some lack of creation, but we have our chances. Bournemouth, we had [the] advantage three times. So, it’s the details, [it] was not offensively, [it] was not the creation of chances. We had the game. We had full control of the game. Today was completely different. Newcastle, we struggled, but we managed to win at home. I think, this year, I don't feel that. I feel the support of the fans when we are here. I feel that they want to play at home. I feel that we are dominant at home. We won one that they were a little bit more dominant, it was the last one. Today, we had lack of quality, fluidity in the game today and that was the reason of our game today.
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Ruben, obviously today was disappointing, we've touched on the other disappointing home results, but you're only two points off a potential Champions League spot at the halfway point of the season. So, how do you look at things going into the new year and how confident are you that those small things that are costing you are going to change in a positive way?
“I'm really confident, we just need to recover all the players and I'm really confident. I don’t know what is going to happen until the end of the season, then we will make the resume of the season, but I'm really confident when we recover all the players that we are going to be a strong team. There are no doubts in my mind.”
Do you think you’ll have people back for Leeds?
“I don't know. I have to check. I'm not going to risk anyone, to lose them for one month or two months. So, we'll try to arrange solutions. Again, let's see, and then we will try to win the next one with no risks for the players.”