Ruben Amorim’s Liverpool pre-match press conference – embargoed section | OneFootball

Ruben Amorim says Bruno Fernandes will remain United’s penalty taker despite missing two out of his last three spot kicks.

The Manchester United head coach was speaking in the embargoed section of the pre-match press conference ahead of tomorrow’s Premier League clash with Liverpool.

Inspiration for tomorrow

The first question was “United have basically won once in the last decade at Anfield as a Wayne Rooney goal, and before that it was Juan Mata who scored twice. The fans still talk about these wins for the obvious reasons. Can you use that, might you say that to your players? You’ve got a chance here to really please our fans and break this sequence or at least improve it?”

“I have so many things to use with our players, like winning back-to-back games, to have that momentum that can change completely,” Amorim responded.

“I felt like the game against Chelsea, when we won, the week was so different. We have a lot of things to use with the players. I think they don’t remember those games. Football players nowadays don’t watch many games, unfortunately. So we have so much to use, that is not the hardest part. We have so much to win, if we perform, if we win the next game, that I don’t need to use that games in the past.

“We just need to try to show them what that could bring for our future.”

The reporter then followed up his question, asking “Anfield obviously, in English we say can be a bit of a bear pit, you know, the atmosphere there is quite, let’s say, involved. Again, you’re confident your players can sort of thrive and use that positive energy?”

Amorim replied:

“We showed last year and I think the way we start the game is more important than the environment. The environment can change. Of course, there will be a corner, an opportunity, the environment is going to be loud, but we are ready to play with that.

“And if you look last year, not this year, but last year, sometimes we play better in that kind of environment than the pressure at home. So we never know what is going to happen.

“It’s really important to start the game well, to do a really good warm-up, to have a feeling, to understand that it’s going to be tough in the first moments. So I think, I know, they are ready, but we need to prepare for the impact, especially for the beginning of the game.”

Does he really think players don’t watch as many games now as they used to?

“No, I think that is normal,” he answered. “Everything now is different, with a lot of distractions. I think they don’t watch a lot of games. You have guys like Bruno, Bruno is watching his plays, teammates, any play. He watches every game that is on TV. But then you have some guys that play really well, they want to do something different. That’s OK.”

On Senne Lammens kicking and distribution

The next question was “Just on Senne [Lammens], he was quite an important figure against Sunderland for the more direct approach to make sure there’s no pressure on the back line. Is that an approach you can use at Anfield?”

Amorim gave a detailed response. “I think if you look at nowadays, every time the ball goes to the goalkeeper most of the teams play man to man and sometimes you don’t have anyone to play and you try to use the first ball with the second ball and try to win when you have players with a lot of power in front and now we have it.

“If we win one second ball, we can take all that build up from the game and to have the opportunity to score. I think everyone is doing that.

“Senne has one ability that is really good. He can play both feet and that is really, it’s harder for the opponents to try to make the pressure from one side or the other. They know that he can kick the ball with both feet and I think that is really important.

“But he also needs to be ready that people are seeing the games, understanding that it takes a little bit time to choose. And he needs to be ready for Premier League. So it’s something that you use if he’s man to man in front, you are not building up, you can put the ball in one against one in front and that is the play.”

Who will be the penalty taker?

Asked about Bruno Fernandes missing two penalties, Amorim said:

“I know that it’s not easy for him, but I think he has 70 penalties, I think, and he misses like nine, two with me, so I’m really annoyed with that!

“But he’s really confident. He’s training the penalties, he’s trying to understand that people are watching the way he scores the penalties, so he will be ready. We have more guys also, too. to score a penalty if he needs.”

The reporter asked again, “Have you had calls to talk to him about this? As you mentioned, you’ve signed three forwards during the summer. I know Brian missed one against Grimsby, but you have other options there now. Is he still your main taker?”

“Yes, he’s the main taker,” Amorim confirmed. “He scores a lot of goals. A penalty is passing this moment.

“We have other options. Again, if we need, we can change, but I’m fully confident that Bruno will sort that out.

On international breaks

The following question was “since you arrived, United haven’t won any of their games directly after an international break. Is that just a coincidence or do these breaks disrupt the rhythm of the team? Particularly, the Sunderland win does feel quite a while ago now.”

The boss replied “Yeah, but you don’t need to look a lot to understand that there’s a lot of things. We cannot win back to back. We cannot win. So if you look to all these things, we’ll find out a million things. So I’m not trying to think like that.

“The last game against City was against City when we had the national team’s break and we understood that was the lack of aggressivity. That is my main concern, trying to understand why we are not winning that kind of games.

“So we need to be more aggressive in this game, to be ready for the game, so I’m not thinking like ‘We didn’t win since I’m here after international break’. We can win any game. Depends sometimes from the opponent but also from us.”

Mainoo and Zirkzee leaving in January?

Amorim also indicated that Kobbie Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee won’t be allowed to leave in the January transfer window despite both players being unhappy over their lack of playing time ahead of next summer’s World Cup. Asked “if he understands “how difficult it is maybe to please players in terms of their minutes when there’s a World Cup next summer and you’ve only got one competition?”, he answered:

“That is normal and I also know that in our club everything is a lot of noise and you have to have news and players are not playing, they want to play.

“Like you said, there’s a World Cup, there is agents that listen to the players talking all the time, so I understand that, but they are our players and we need everyone to have a good season.”

The final question was about Marcus Rashford’s comments in the week about United being an “inconsistent environment” and Wayne Rooney’s response that Rashford himself may have contributed to that.

“Guys, I’m just focused on the future of the club, on the present of the club,” the head coach said. “That is the most important thing. So, I’m focused just on my players and what they say, what they do. That is my main focus.”

The Peoples Person have already reported every word from the first part of the presser.

How many players can you name that have played for both clubs? Check out our guide to every player who has played for both Man United and Liverpool.

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