Ruben Amorim has discussed the work that Manchester United have put into set-pieces this season.
Following our most recent outing, against Crystal Palace, the Reds had registered the joint-most goals from set-plays, level with league leaders Arsenal, according to TNT Sports.
In the second part of his press conference previewing our upcoming home game against West Ham United, Amorim was asked about what has gone into that strong record, along with fielding questions on Luke Shaw, Joshua Zirkzee, Lisandro Martinez and our current aims for European football.
Keep scrolling to read, and watch, everything he had to say...
Hi Ruben, Luke Shaw obviously made his 300th appearance at the weekend, which has obviously taken its time, he’s has had a lot of issues for the club over the years, but he's starting every Premier League game this season. What's been the key to that fitness? Has it just been the sparseness of the schedule or have you taken specific measures to try and protect him?
“We took special consideration in the beginning, when we are building the player, we have to be careful trying to control the load, not putting [him through] so many minutes. Even the position is completely different. If you change the position, you know that the demands of that different position, he’s going to struggle. He adapts really well to that position because sometimes he's playing with the ball like a full-back, but he's defending deeper. He's really smart. For me, I said already, I think he's a world-class player. Of course, he needs more continuity, like he's showing this season. We are playing just one game per week. That helps a lot, if he needs three days to recover – he’s not needing, no – but if he needs, we can give him [it]. So, I think it’s everything combined. We are not taking special measures for him in this moment, but we had to do it in the beginning [when] he was starting to have more minutes.”
Is it too demanding for him to play on the wing now?
“No, no, no. It's different. You have to train there. So, before you think to put a different player in that position, you need to train there, or he needs to do some minutes and then he needs to come off or return to a different position, but he’s ready to, if we need, and maybe we are going to need. In this system, he can play there.”
You mentioned how important set pieces are, you also scored two more against Palace. We see on a matchday, when there’s a set-piece, you kind of take a step back, and it’s Carlos [Fernandes] who is on the touchline and he’s kind of directing everything. How important is his work in that area, and could you give us a little insight on the type of work that he does with the players?
“First of all, it’s a group thing and we improve a lot in that department. There's nothing to do with me, so I'm really upset with that! But we have analyst Kaita [Hasegawa] who’s doing all the study. We have the data guys that we brought that give us information, and then Carlos is doing the research, seeing all the opponents, all the moments of the opponents, watching all the trainings, all our games, what we need to improve. Then we have training, and then we have to prepare a specific exercise for him, but that is normal in any squad, but I think they are, not just Carlos, but all the guys are doing a massive job. And, in this league, set-pieces can win you games or you can lose if you don't pay attention to that. And I'm really pleased with the job that they are doing.
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We’ve talked about having more time with the players this year because of only playing once week. Are we seeing the benefits of that in the set-pieces? Are you giving more time to Carlos to practice those set pieces, or is it just the natural development?
“Yes, it’s a point that helps you to have more time because last year, we train without the real movement. So, we can put the position, that is the idea, but if you don't have space and you cannot put load [on the players] because they are recovering, it’s not the same thing. So, you have more time for corners, free-kicks, and you can create like real game situations this year, and that helps if you train more time, you will improve, that is normal.”
You mentioned that Matheus Cunha was thinking about the numbers too much, perhaps. Do you think, on that basis, this two games out of the action will help a little bit? And how as a coach do you help a player like that, who’s maybe just become a little bit too fixated?
“I put my players in problems sometimes when I say things [laughs]. What I mean is that, I think he feels that he wants to score, he wants to assist, but he's really happy playing the game. It is really important. I think he struggled with his two games out. He was struggling because he wants to play. He had fun playing the game and that is so important in our team. Guys having fun, wanting the challenge, the pressure, he’s that guy. So, I think it was not good for him to stop playing. He watched a lot of players playing well, especially in his position, so he's not happy, and tomorrow, maybe, he will have the opportunity to come back and to score again or assist.”
You’ve played 13 league games now, which is a third of the season. You're only a point behind fifth place, which is probably going to be enough for Champions League football next season. Surely, it's a realistic ambition or target to go for Champions League qualification?
“I understand the question. If the table is there, if you have the opportunity, one game per week, you need to go for it. But then you look at the table and everyone is like two points behind, one week, everything can change. I think the best way of doing things, especially with our team, is to focus just on the next game. If we win the next game, we'll maintain the position, at least. To go in the position of Champions League for next week? Yes, it’s realistic. The future? I don't know. So, I just want to say I want to continue near that position next week and then the rest, we’ll see.”
Lisandro [Martinez] made his return after a long time out, against Crystal Palace. What does he bring to you on the pitch, but also off the pitch? He's in the leadership group. I know he's got quite high standards around the place. And Luke Shaw's position, does that give you a bit of a headache there, how to play those guys?
“Yeah, they have to fight and we talked about that as a group last year. ‘We need to win Europa League’, I was always telling to the players because you have no idea what it’s [like] playing one game per week and you are going to be upset because you are not going to play. It’s 11 players that can play and then the rest, you have to fight. And that is the situation. So, that is not a problem, that is a blessing. That is my job to choose. Licha is a guy that has a big character. I feel that he stopped for a year and now he wants the things really, really fast and you have to manage that, to explain that injury. We need to go step by step, but he’s getting ready. He's feeling really strong, and this one more guy to help the team to play better. So, I'm really happy with Licha at the moment.“
Just on the set-pieces again, was that something you and your staff discussed in pre-season as being something you absolutely, fundamentally, had to address this season? And also, in terms of goal scored from set pieces, you’re level with Arsenal, who most people look at as probably the best exponent of set-pieces in Europe at the moment. And you said about stealing ideas. Are they something that you specifically looked at? And is the next challenge for the team to get the defensive element of set pieces up to where your attacking and offensive set-pieces are?
“Yeah, I think we are attacking better than we are defending, but when you are defending, you need to take the ball out. When you are attacking nowadays in Premier League, you don't need to touch the ball, just don't allow the defender to take the ball because the ball is going to be there for the second ball. So, it's completely different defending and attacking. I'm not going to tell you who we are stealing ideas [from], it’s from everybody. A lot of smart managers doing a lot of things, specialists nowadays. So we try to steal from everybody, then you have to think about when you put the squad [out], if you play with Amad, Bryan, Bruno, all these guys. If you don't have Casemiro, and we suffered against Tottenham with that, if we don't have Casemiro, not Sesko, not Harry [Maguire], so you have to make a balance, sometimes thinking, ‘Yes, the idea for the game is this one’, but if you have set pieces against, [it] cannot be this team. And our league is like that at the moment. You need to think not just the way you are going to play, but also in set-pieces. So, of course, if you look with a little bit of attention to the league, you understand that set-pieces is massive for the game. Sometimes to open the game; if you score a goal, you are in the better conditions to win the game. So, of course, we pay attention a lot, especially in pre-season, but, every week, to prepare set pieces for the for the game.”
You discussed you felt in the summer, going into the season, it was a key area that, amongst other things, you had to address?
“And we struggle a lot when we arrived. We struggled. I think we suffered a lot from set-pieces in our first games here. So, we learn with time, like any other manager.“
Josh [Zirkzee] has got his chance in the last couple of weeks to come in because of injury and he took it with that really good goal at Palace, but Kobbie [Mainoo] remains still on the bench. You’ve spoken before about players that are out of the team are naturally going to want to consider their position in January, especially in World Cup year. With games mounting up now in December, is Kobbie going to get a chance to prove his worth before the January transfer window?
“We'll see. We could talk about Kobbie. We could talk about [Manuel] Ugarte, he's also not playing. Josh is playing because we had a lot of injuries and we need to be also clear with that. And football is like that. You just need to be ready when the opportunity comes. When the opportunity comes, again, I just want to win. I don't look at faces. I just want to win, and I will choose the best ones. And, of course, I think when you have more games, if something happens, you will have your chance. You just need to be ready, and you will be fine. If you are ready, if you play well, I'm not going to take it [away] from the team for any reason. I just choose for every game, the best starting XI and Kobbie is the same thing with the other guys.”