Amorim: We're better offensively but need to defend better

The result leaves United in sixth place, two points off the top four, while only Manchester City (38) have scored more than the 30 goals the Reds have netted over 16 league games.

Amorim was pleased that reporters brought up the team’s attacking improvement this season, having recruited Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko during the summer – all three were involved in some way in one or more of United’s goals on Monday.

But he contested the idea that the squad needs defensive recruitment to improve the other side of the game, explaining that the talent is already there.

Read on for every word of the head coach’s press conference...

How do you even begin to dissect or analyse the game?

“It was a fun game for everyone at home. If you look at the game, you can think that we lost the two points in the second half. I think we lost the two points in the first half. We should have more goals.

“We should be a different result at half-time. Similar to Nottingham Forest (2-2 draw), we suffer two goals really fast, but we managed to get back to take the advantage again. And then we need to close the game. Again, it was a fun game to watch. Of course, there is a feeling of scoring four goals and not winning the game.”

Offensively, goal threats compared to last season must be a positive?

“I think people enjoy more seeing Manchester United this season, but we need to put both things together. Sometimes closing the games is so important to give a different choice to everything that we did.”

Do you take anything from a lot of people feeling that keeping going forward and trying to score is the tradition of Manchester United?

“If you understand a little bit, if you follow the club, like I follow Premier League for so long, you have not just the duty to try to win the games, but the way you try to win the games is so important for the fans.

“And of course, they are desperate to win, but they are also, I feel, desperate to be inspired when they come to Old Trafford. Today was inspiring, I think, but in the end, that feeling of frustration, not winning the game.”

Five times this season you’ve gone 1-0 up but not gone on to win the game. Is that a mentality thing?

“It’s understanding of the moments of the game, understanding that a lot of goals after the half-time, we need to start the second half in the different way. So it's everything together, it's not a mentality thing, it's the understanding of the game and how to play the game in different moments.”

Were you playing four at the back when you were attacking?

“It’s for you two to discuss, not for me. I will say the same thing. You can play with the same players, [it] looks like one thing, [it] is another thing. Now, guys, it's for you to [discuss]. I know that you guys know that I trained this week, the back four. I don't know how, but that is a good thing for you guys to discuss this week.”

You’re scoring a lot more goals in the Premier League, is there anything defensively missing?

“I think we are pressing better, we are controlling better the game far from our goal. We are lacking quality when we defend our goal. It’s something that we need to address, of course. I think it’s different when you suffer so many goals and the opponent doesn’t have the same amount – not even near – that we create, it’s really frustrating. But we need to work a lot in the way we defend the box.

How are you prepared for three big players to be missing because of AFCON and for Casemiro to be suspended?

“It’s an opportunity for everyone. We will be ready for the challenge. We already knew that can happen to any team. A lot of teams are going to lose players, a lot of teams have injuries.

“We need to just go for the next game with a responsibility to win the game, to fight, and we will try to find different ways of creating chances and scoring those.”

Spending money on the attack in the summer clearly worked. Do you need to spend some money defensively now to improve this?

“No, I think we have talent in the back. We have quality players in the back, we just need to be better as a team defending. But that is a good point that at least shows that we took care of the offence, we are improving, but I think it’s not the same situation. We have the characteristics, we just need to work together and to improve our players because they have quality to defend better.”