Ruben Amorim says that the last-gasp derby day win against Manchester City was like an ‘oxygen balloon’ for United's morale but notes the importance of focusing on the next fixture against Tottenham.
A statement win over our cross-city rivals, courtesy of late goals from Bruno Fernandes and Amad, gave Amorim victory in his first taste of a Manchester derby.
Our head coach also made a bit of personal history, having become the first-ever manager to beat Pep Guardiola with two different teams in one season.
After a quiet first half which saw us behind at the break, a dominant second-half performance paid dividends following some late changes and more threat from the Reds.
He spoke about the happiness in the camp following the result and the positive impact on the team but remains focused on the challenge that awaits United in the coming weeks.
“It is always important to win,
“ he stressed. ”
In this moment, every win is like an oxygen balloon! It helps us continue our job with happiness.“
While it is a result to be proud of and to enjoy, being able to refocus remains a big challenge, with games coming thick and fast over the festive period.
We now look ahead to a trip to north London in the Carabao Cup quarter-final and with silverware on the horizon, Amorim was clear how highly he regards the competition.
“No matter what happens we have to continue the same,
“ he said. ”
It's a special day for us but, tomorrow, it's over and we focus on the next game. It's a competition we want to win.”
Ange Postecoglou's men warmed up for the 20:00 GMT kick-off on Thursday with a morale-boosting 5-0 thumping of Southampton and will, no doubt, pose a big threat to our hopes of going all the way to the final on 16 March 2025.
The Spurs game starts off another busy schedule of four games in 12 days, with some big Premier League matches in the diary.