Ruben Amorim said that defender Luke Shaw is “in a good moment”
in the second part of his press conference ahead of our meeting with Bournemouth.
Despite struggling with injuries for a significant portion of his career, Shaw has fought back diligently and recently made his 300th appearance for the Reds, having started all 15 of our Premier League assignments so far this term.
In this section of his pre-match media briefing, Amorim addressed the strong start the 30-year-old has made to the campaign, discussed reintroducing Benjamin Sesko to the squad and gave his thoughts on Monday's opponents.
Keep scrolling to read, and watch, everything the head coach had to say...
Ruben, quite a few players in the past few days have had their say about Kobbie Mainoo. Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt, Rio Ferdinand, I don't want to get you on Kobbie again, and I know you have talked about that, but as a manager, as the head coach here, how frustrating is it for you to have ex-players and pundits having their say like this?
“I think again it is normal. I think it's a fact that, me as a manager of Manchester United, I think we are under-achieving. We should have more points, especially this season. So, I take it that naturally. Sometimes they don't have all the information and they balance and see Manchester United with the standards that they lived here, always winning, so it's hard for them to see their club in this situation. About Kobbie [Mainoo], I can speak about Kobbie every press conference, sometimes it's harder for me to speak after the game. So it's always the same situation for me. All of them are the same. I know that for you guys, there are some players that you believe [in] a lot and I believe [in] a lot, but sometimes I have to make a choices. We play with two midfielders in these games. We could change in the future, but to Kobbie Mainoo, he is playing in the same position as Bruno Fernandes. Sometimes it's really hard to take Bruno Fernandes out of the team and that is the only reason.”
But when they speak, is it not making your job harder?
“No, it's not winning. I think not winning is the issue. Of course, you can point a lot of things and they point [at] a lot of things that we need to improve, but the big issue is not winning. If I'm winning, I can go to the games in the horse. Arrive there, playing with just two defenders and everything will be fine. The problem is that me, as a manager, I am not doing good enough and that is a fact also and I can accept that. So that is the only problem for them. It is that Manchester United is not winning and it is not in the position that it's supposed to be.”
Just on the ex-players, is that something that happens or happened when you were in Lisbon as well or have you found it to be different here, the way that the ex-players speak in the media?
“No, here is completely different. We have the best league in the world and there's a lot of things around the game. In every press conference, I live here and I'm going to give an interview. So it's a completely different world. In Sporting there is no issue because we were winning all the time. So if you are winning there is no issue. So [it is] accolades, so I understand that and that's okay.”
Ben [Sesko]'s been out for about five weeks now. He's probably had a slowish start to his United career. Obviously with Bryan [Mbeumo] going away to AFCON, there's a need for a forward to step up now. Is there a chance this spell out the team might have given him a chance to kind of just reset and come back and we'll maybe see the best of him over December and January?
“I think it's not just Ben, but everyone. I think we need to adapt a little bit the way we are going to play the games. That is a good opportunity to do that because we cannot think that we are going to play the same way without Amad, Bryan and Nous [Mazraoui]. But especially Amad and Bryan because of the characteristics that is really hard to get. They have more or less the same characteristics, both of them, and we are losing them for a few games. But it's a good opportunity for us to try and play in a different way.”
Ruben you said earlier in response to one of the questions that Bournemouth have a special player. Is that Antoine Semenyo?
“Yes.”
Would you like him in your team, Semenyo?
“No, that's not that case. I think there are a lot of special players in the league. What I feel is that, to summarise, they [have a] top manager, a top team, I really like the team and the top player I think is a special player.”
Just on the centre-backs that you were discussing earlier, I think you've made substitutions at centre-back 19 times this season. Is that just for the load management of those players?
“Sometimes it's a little bit of bad luck. Ayden [Heaven] was suffering and ask us to change. Nous [Mazraoui] had that knock and asked us and was talking about that. Diogo [Dalot] is a defender, not a centre-back, but had an issue. Harry Maguire sometimes has an issue. Sometimes it is that the situation occurs a lot of times. So sometimes it's a tactical issue because I believe that those are the guys that have to start all the plays and where the quality comes from. But a lot of times also we need to change because of the physical aspect.”
Ruben, you were very honest in your answer when you were saying it's about winning matches and you say I'm not good enough. Who do you lean on when you are in this kind of position where you do think you need improvement in areas?
“Myself. I just watch the games. Sometimes we play well, sometimes we are not consistent. I think we need to work on the variability of the way we play, especially in the build-up. I think I need to find different ways to take all the juice from the team and from the squad. I think I need to inspire a lot of players that are not playing in a different way and that's maybe something about the way we play. So I'm just trying to find out solutions to win more games.”
Can I ask you about Luke Shaw? He's played the third most minutes of any United player this season behind Bruno [Fernandes] and Bryan [Mbeumo] last season. In previous seasons he's not been available that much. What do you think has kind of changed?
“I think we changed the position. I think it helps Luke Shaw to cope with everything. We are taking care of his body now and now it is not a concern. I think he feels motivated. Maybe that is also something that helps Luke Shaw. That's it. Sometimes it's just one season that you feel better and you are understanding your body better. I don't know the specific reason, but I feel that Luke Shaw is in a good moment.”
It is impossible to keep every player happy at the best of times, more so when you've got one game a week. But I think obviously Kobbie was interested in going out on loan in the summer. If he comes to you and says that's what I want in January, will you sanction that given how little playing time he is getting?
“First of all the team, I have said the same thing. The team come first and if Kobbie comes to me and talks to me, I will talk with him. I'm not going to say what I'm going to say to Kobbie, but I will be really pleased if Kobbie is coming to talk to me about that. I just want my players happy and they understand that every individual has their goals and the frustration, it doesn't help anybody. But again, the focus is on this game and we'll see if that happens.”
Have you not had that real conversation with him this season then in terms of him airing his frustrations? About what's going on?
“Not about that, no. I had some conversations with him last year and with other players, but about that subject, no. I didn't speak with him.”
Are you the sort of manager who, if players want to discuss that, you're open to it?
“Completely open. I think that is clear. What I don't promise is to, I have my ideas and that is also clear, that I will not change if I don't believe it, but I am open speaking with any player. I love that.”
Just following up on that, could Kobbie Mainoo not play in Casemiro's position. He seems technically smart enough?
“Yes.”
The reason I ask is that you always say that he's competing with Bruno, which I completely respect, but what about that position? Cause Casemiro sometimes comes off after 60, 65 minutes?
“Against West Ham, it was Manu [Ugarte] that comes in for Bruno's position. [That's because] Bruno who goes up because I was feeling that with 10 minutes is going to be long balls, second balls and I was thinking that. I think it was against Everton, I took Casemiro out and I put Kobbie in, because we were trying to play a game, a different game. He can play in that position. But it's hard sometimes, if you look at our team with Cunha and Bryan, Bruno, you guys say that is a number 10, sometimes Kobbie Mainoo, you have to think 'I'm the guy for blocking transitions', all these things and he needs to spend more time there, but he can be in the future that position. I don't know what is going to happen. I'm always talking about the same thing, Toby [Collyer] and this injury is returning here. He played, he's from the Academy, he played here, went to West Bromwich, he's not playing. He played for Manchester United. So sometimes it's not because he's from the Academy or whatever. It's the situation and what's happened. I don't know what is going to happen in the future. Let's see after this match.”
Can I just ask respectfully, do you actually rate him as a footballer? Do you think he's a very good player? I know you sort of chuckle and he did start the Euro final for England, but do you actually rate him as a proper footballer?
“Of course, but like everyone else, the problem is that we are playing with two and you guys see Kobbie in a different way that I'm seeing. Sometimes maybe if I play with three midfielders, not with just two, but with the three, Kobbie will have more minutes and imagine if that is [to] happen. Someone in front is going to lose their spots. So sometimes it's just the moment. I think I proved that if you change my mind, Casemiro is the biggest example, he was behind Toby and now he's a starter.”
On that note, would you prefer or maybe has been your can't to tell us, but would you like to be more proactive in coming to you and saying, look, head coach, what do I need to do? You know, what part of my game do I need to improve?
”It's like any other player. The door is open for any player to change my mind, but in the end, it's going to be the training, the games. Of course he's not playing so many games, but Kobs had opportunities, especially last year that everyone had. [Harry] Amass is now struggling in the Championship. Chido is not always a starter with the Under-21s. All these guys played when a lot of people were saying sack the manager! So you can see that I'm not worried in that time about everybody. I'm just looking at the team and trying to win the next game and trying to think about the team. I will do that until the end. Kobs is one more player that I understand all the interest, I understand how important it is, the hopes that you English guys have. I also just want to win and if he's the right guy I will put him [in]. No problem.“