Ruben: 'We need more Brunos!'

After a fairly slow start from both sides, Reds captain Bruno Fernandes kicked the game into life with a precise free-kick, beating the Gunners' wall and David Raya in first-half stoppage-time.

United grew in confidence in the second half, and went close on numerous occasions, but Declan Rice was to be the only player to impact the scoreline the latter period, curling his effort in off the inside of Andre Onana's post with just over 15 minutes to go.

Following the final whistle, Ruben Amorim met with the press inside Old Trafford to discuss the fitness of Leny Yoro and Manuel Ugarte, and waxed lyrical about the brilliance of Bruno. Keep scrolling to read everything he had to say...

Congratulations on the point. In your TV interview, you said in the future you don't want your team to play like that, but most people would have thought that that today was a lot better than a lot of other performances. Could you just explain?

“It's just the low block. It’s just the way to give the the ball to the opponent. It's just that. But the spirit to follow the plan, to be together, that is a good thing. This is an example for the future, but I'm just saying [about] the low block. And you can feel it a little bit, the frustration of our fans in the first half, that's all.”

Could you explain what it is that you want different though? Do you want to start your team further up the pitch? Because, as I say, I think most fans would have thought that you’d played well.

“No, and I think the plan was perfect. What I mean is that we have to have more possession of the ball, more control of the ball, to press a little bit high. We press sometimes, especially in the goal-kicks and on the free-kicks, near [David] Raya’s goal. We press quite well, but in the future, I want to play a different football, to spend more time attacking with the ball in the last third, than defending in the low block, that is all. The rest, I think is an example and people appreciate the effort of the players.”

It seems like the best performances under you so far have come against the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester City. Is that a problem? You know, what does that say about your team, that they didn't have [control] against the likes of let's say, Fulham or Brighton?

“I don't know, I don't know. Maybe it is that in those games it’s a little bit more acceptable to play in the low block, and that can help us a lot. Against other teams, we have to push forward. That's why it's difficult here. Sometimes, you have to press high. It's more difficult. Sometimes the characteristics of the players are not there to do that. But when you train and you play in a club like ours sometimes, you have to push forward, no matter what. And I think that is the biggest reason for that to happen.”

Were you particularly pleased [with the result] given the tight turnaround and you couldn’t really rotate too much for the game?

“I think, yeah, I was really pleased. If you see all also the game, we control the first minutes without the ball. We score near the half-time, that helped us a lot in the end. In the second half we had more space and more energy also because of the result and our fans, to score another goal. So if I look at the performance, I'm quite pleased, even with all the problems.”

Do you expect to have some players back for the Sociedad game?

“Maybe Ugarte, I don't know, we'll see.”

Can I just ask you about the quality of Bruno Fernandes today? I mean, the goal was sensational wasn't it, when you need a big player to step up.

“I think he steps up all the time. Sometimes, he can show some frustration in some moments that can hurt him more than anybody. And I understand that, it’s that frustration: he wants to win. But, again, he's also always available, always there to play in different positions. And when we need sometimes a goal, a free kick, an assist, he’s always there. So I think he’s a very good example. He does some mistakes. that's normal, but he's a very good example for the other players.”

You said there was more space and more energy in the second half from your team. How do you make sure your team starts like that in the first half of games?

“Because you are in front of the result and then you are in the second half and you feel that you can score. And when you are in this moment, you don't feel so tired. That, I think, is that feeling. And when you start the game, you know that you have 90 minutes, 75 minutes when you have to defend, not to suffer a goal, and try to score a goal. So I think it's more a plan. If you can be inside of the game or on top of the game at half-time, in the second half, we will be more dangerous and the players feel more confident to play a different football.”

Do you think there’s a confidence issue with your team?

“It depends. I think we are starting to believe. We believe more during the games because we feel comfortable, you feel, ‘I can do this’. We are okay and then we are growing in confidence during the game. Not so much in the beginning, in the beginning we try to understand, but then during the game, I felt that also in Spain. During the game, I think we increased the confidence and the quality of our game.”

Just on Bruno again. If the club had signed more players with his level of quality, but not just quality, his mentality, ability to play every three days. Do you think the club wouldn’t have been in quite in this position? And going forward, for you, how crucial is it that you bring in players with that level of quality, with that level of mentality, with that level of energy?

“I think any coach when he wants to bring players, he expects the best, but sometimes they have to adapt and sometimes you have luck with the character of the player or not. Even with all the investigation that all the coaches do before signing players. What I can say is that we need more Brunos. That is clear. Not just the quality, the character, not some mistakes, but the character that he has, the availability in this league, is so important and he's so decisive with the ball and without the ball.”

Just wanted to ask how Leny Yoro is. And what did you make of Ayden Heaven’s debut?

“Ayden’s so relaxed. He seems so relaxed that sometimes he's too relaxed. But I think we have a player there, so now we have to control and to tell him that was just the game, et cetera, et cetera. Leny, he has something in his foot, I think. We’ll see if he's available for Thursday.”