Amorim: Casemiro showed that he cares

The midfielder picked up his first booking in the 17th minute for a foul on Enzo Fernandez, shortly after his midfield partner Bruno Fernandes had put the Reds in front with his 100th United goal in all competitions on his 200th Premier League appearance. 

Our no.18 headed home our decisive second goal before he was given his marching orders by referee Peter Bankes for a second bookable offence, following a tackle on Chelsea substitute Andrey Santos. 

After Blues stopper Robert Sanchez was sent off in the fifth minute, it meant both sides contested the second half with 10 men. Trevor Chalobah's 80th-minute header gave the visitors late hope but the Reds survived some nervy moments to secure back-to-back home league wins. 

Speaking in his post-match press conference, the boss pointed to Casemiro's vast pedigree of winning European titles and suggested the Brazilian's eagerness to fight for the cause shows that he cares. 

Amorim was also asked about the importance of the victory, the value of Fernandes to his squad, what's needed to replicate the performance against Brentford next weekend, Bryan Mbeumo and whether a certain religious figure has been in touch with him...

Congratulations on the win. You’ve been through a lot today and in the opening weeks of the season. How important was it to get over the line?

“It was really important, I think we deserve it but we complicated our lives every time. I think we started the game really well, really well in terms of the aggression and to push the opponent and to show that we were there, even to bring our fans with us. Of course, the sending off of the goalkeeper helped us a lot but we were in control. We scored two goals and with everything going well, we complicated that with the sending off [of Casemiro]. The second half, I think, we managed well but in the end, the last 15 minutes were tough for us. They scored a goal and then we suffer together and manage to win.”

What does the nature of the performance tell you about the players’ desire to win for you?

“I think they show that but we show also that when everything is going well, we arrange something to make it difficult. But again, just the way we start the game in the first ball, second ball. I remember when we scored the first one, we have many situations, three against one, three against two, the goalkeeper outside the box in the last pass - we are not being perfect in that moment. That can help us a lot to control the games and to win games. But we suffer together in the end, and that was a good thing. If you look at the game, we deserve to win.”

Bruno Fernandes scored his 100th goal on his 200th Premier League appearance. We talk a lot about him. Even on the bench next to you at the end, he’s roaring the team on and he was roaring the fans after he had the chance at the end. We debate his position but you can see his value to your squad…

“Yeah, the most important thing is the influence that he has on the squad. Sometimes he’s not in the best position to be the main man in every game but the point, especially of the captain, is to be the best he can be in every situation, to help the team to be better, and he’s doing that. I think he can play better but everyone can play better in our team. But it’s really important. You can change in position, you can give different things to the team. He has a lot of quality near the box, he has a lot of quality building up and he deserved all the praise.”

You spoke yesterday about mentality. In the last 15 minutes, you suffered together. How important could the mental side of the team be to see that win through?

“That is really important because sometimes we have some moments that we feel urgency to have a result and this team show for many times that we have that urgency. So today we won but let’s forget about it now. It’s nice to win, but let’s forget that in return to that urgency, we need to win the next game. That is the most important thing because in the big club it’s not that feeling. Today is a really good game. Let’s relax a little bit and let’s return that urgency. We need to win the next one and that is the most important feeling that we have to take for the next week.”

Did you see more examples of the fight and aggression you were talking about yesterday?

“I think if you try to remember the game, you can feel it especially in the beginning, 11 against 11. I don’t remember a big play that we did. It’s not about that in this moment. It’s about the second ball, the first ball, the aggression, the speed. Even Case [Casemiro] with the sending off, but it was really aggressive. Of course, he needs to do better in that moment, in that place. But we show that today, since the beginning of the game, we show that we wanted to win really, really badly.”

Ever since you came here, performance levels have sometimes been up and down. Today was very good. How do you ensure you get this kind of performance against Brentford next Saturday? 


“It’s the urgency, it’s that feeling of we need to win. Because the situation is so hard in this moment that we go to the pitch and that feeling of there is not two results or three results, there is one. Let’s do it. In the end, we can do it or not. But that feeling of urgency that is not about the tactical aspects or abilities, the feeling that we go to the next game, we need to win the next game, so that is the only way. That starts in the next training, not the next game.”

Has the Pope been in contact? 


“[laughing] No, [Sir] Jim [Ratcliffe] was here also. No, it was a joke. You like it guys so don’t complain! [laughs] You love it. Let's try to win the next one, I will give you another one next week.”

When you talk about complicating things, does that show maybe the pressure that the players are feeling that they’re trying to do things that are a little bit too much - such as making a tackle that they shouldn’t? 


“It’s hard to say. With Casemiro, that’s the pressure. The guy has five Champions Leagues. I feel more pressure in some young guys sometimes. But maybe it’s because Casemiro cares - we scored one and then he has that tackle. Then they have maybe one time that they passed the half of the pitch and we want to win the ball right away. So I think sometimes it’s a little bit, not the pressure, they want it too much in that moment. That is not a bad thing.”

Is the move that led to Chelsea’s red card something you’ve been working on to benefit from Bryan Mbeumo’s runs in behind?

“It’s everything together. We know that Ben[jamin Sesko] is really strong on the first touch and also Bryan is something that we see the characteristics of the player playing for the last team. You can feel it - every detail, every run, every touch - Bryan is really aggressive in these runs. We want that, we want to use the good things that he had for his former club. But those characteristics are really important for us and also in the second half, when we kick the ball, Ben was not there and we miss that a little bit. They did a good job. Let’s move to the next one.”