Every word from Ruben Amorim’s Everton press conference – embargoed section | OneFootball

Ruben Amorim says he has a feeling the dark days will return at Manchester United.

Amorim was facing the press in the embargoed section of the scheduled conference ahead of tomorrow’s Premier League clash with Everton.

Another storm or sunny days football?

The first question was whether the “dark days are over”.

“I have always that feeling,” Amorim replied. “I think it’s also my job, especially in our club, to always have that feeling. That give me the sense of urgency in every training that I have. Then, again, playing Every game in Premier League, you can sense that everything can change so fast because all the teams can win any game. If you see the bottom, they have a lot of points. Everything can change in one moment. I don’t like to say the storm is over, but we are more prepared for any storm in this moment. Let’s take this sense of urgency to every game.”

The next question was whether the reverse is possible and whether United could go on a long unbeaten run.

“We need to think to be six games unbeaten,” he replied. “But then unbeaten is not enough. I came from these last two games, but especially the last one, very frustrated. For us, it’s not enough.”

“In this club, it doesn’t matter at the moment. It’s not enough to be unbeaten. And beaten is not everything. We didn’t win the last two games. So I think like that. I don’t think that we are unbeaten five games ago. In my mind, we don’t win a game. We are going to the third game. In the last two, we didn’t win. So that is my feeling.”

The subject turned to Kobbie Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee. “If they ask to leave the club in January, whether that be on loan, would those requests be entertained or have you made the decision to?”

Amorim replied: “The first thing is that the club comes first place, so we have to think about the club and the team. Then everything can happen. I was a football player, I understand everything, and I want to help my players in every situation. I don’t know what is going to happen. I want my players happy. I understand the that the World Cup is there, and I know what it means for the World Cup, but Manchester United comes first. If I can help the club and the players, I will be happy. If not, I have to think about the team.”

The next question was whether Amorim believes the midfield is the area of the team that needs strengthening the most.

“It’s hard to say that, but I think we can add in the future, I don’t know when, different characteristics,” he said. “The same thing that our thinking in front, sometimes is not the quality of the players, the characteristics of the players. We can improve in some areas in our club, but I’m happy with the guys that we have in the moment. I think they have so much more to give. It’s my job to think about them, not the other guys that are not here.”

Manuel Ugarte’s struggles

The following question was about Manuel Ugarte. The reporter said the Uruguayan “struggled when he has started this season. You know him very well. Are you surprised by his performance level?”

Amorim replied: “I understand. Again, you are here longer than me and you can sense that a lot of very good players come here and sometimes they struggle, and they are struggling.”

“He’s struggling in the moment, but it’s our job to try to help our players. Again, everything can change. You saw it five weeks ago. The environment was completely different. I know that Ugarte is struggling in the moment and my job is trying to help him to feel as a player like I felt when he was a Sporting player, for example. But is he a different world and he needs to adapt, and he needs to improve, especially in training.”

A reporter then picked up on Amorim’s comment that the players’ characteristics are important and asked if he feels the team is where he wants it to be in terms of “atmosphere, culture, environment .. the close-knit group”.

“I think we are better. I think we are in a better moment,” Amorim responded. “I think we train with a better intensity. I think we are doing the things in a better way, but we are not perfect. When I watch trainings, when I watch games, we are far from perfection. We can be perfect in the position, in the intensity, all these things, and we need to work that in training.”

“To be really honest with you, we are better, but far from perfection. We need to do that, especially to win in this league. We need to be perfect in everything, to have a little bit luck, to try to get in the top of the table. So we are far from the perfect environment.”

In terms of having a dressing room that “polices itself”, he replied:

“We are not there yet, but we are getting there. That is something that is not… Sometimes it’s just like that in change, but it takes a lot of work to reach that point, and we are not there yet. But we are fighting because sometimes we are used to different things. Then when you want to change, it’s hard because you have to suffer. Sometimes it’s hard when you are not used to suffering in every drill, every training, it’s hard. But they are making the effort. That is the only thing I can ask.”

“But we are not there yet to leave the players like train… No, I have to be there every drill, every moment. I still have to be there. We are far from that team that I can talk with Jason Wilcox during training and the speed is completely the same. We are not there.”

“Wins help build that, don’t they?” a reporter asked.

“Yeah, of course,” he agreed. “The environment is completely different when you win, but the big teams it’s the same when you win, when you lose. You can be annoying, but the speed and everything, the sound is completely different. Even the aggression between them in training, it has to be different. I’m always on top of that. They are trying, and that is the only thing, again, that I can ask for.”

AFCON was the next topic. How much of a challenge will it be to cope without Bryan Mbeumo, Amad and Nouss Mazraoui?

“I think it’s going to be hard, but then that is the good thing of the experience,” the boss replied. “We lived so many limitations last year because we changed in January and we didn’t bring the players, and then we had the injury of Amad for four months, all these things. We are prepared for that. Even it will be hard for us, but we have a different baggage to deal with that.”

“Again, I think guys like Jack Fletcher, Shea [Lacey], a lot of guys, they can step up. We can send at the same time a message to everyone here in the academy that this is the future, but we are going to struggle, and we have to be prepared for that.”

That led the topic on to Chido Obi and whether he could be called upon.

Amorim’s reply: “He played last year. I think it was too soon. We didn’t have a team that we can put a young kid with 16 that he will not struggle or will struggle a little bit. It was completely necessary to do that. The perfect conditions is we have the opportunity and we seek that opportunity for the kid. He’s one of the guys, but I think if he starts it’s so important for us to change information about the players, what they need, how they behave.”

“Even to call a kid for the first team, they need to behave really well. If you don’t behave really well, this connection is really important. We are trying to do that. We are putting everything in place. Nutritionist for the academy starts now. In our club, that is something that should be basic. All these things we are doing, and they are doing their job. I have more times with them with training, so I’m more confident with them. When we put these kids to play in Premier League, they will struggle, but we will struggle less, I think. I think everyone in the academy are doing a very good job in the moment.”

On Shea Lacey, the head coach said:

“I’m really happy with him. I think he struggled a little bit with injuries. They did a very good job balancing his body. You can sense that he can manage more low during training. He has a lot of talent, but when they come here, they can sense the speed is completely different. They need to spend more time with us to be prepared because our trainings are hard. At Premier League games, with the pressure, it’s harder, so they need to be ready.”

A reporter then asked Amorim if he thinks it was a risk to have sent Rasmus Hojlund out on loan, given Benjamin Sesko’s injury.

“I prefer to two strikers, or sometimes I prefer players that makes two positions, because sometimes in these clubs, it’s hard to make everyone happy,” he answered. “Imagine that Rasmus is here, and you say, If Ben has an injury, you have most time to play. It’s impossible to manage a dressing room like that. That’s why we need to improve the kids from academy. If you have an injury, that is the opportunity for them. Then to have players that can play in different positions for us to manage the team in a better way.”

Read every word from the first part of the presser here.

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