Ruben Amorim has told his Manchester United players they must stop losing the ball and start running hard if they want to transform their fortunes on the pitch.
Amorim inherits a United side languishing in mid-table in the Premier League after predecessor Erik ten Hag was sacked by the club’s Ineos hierarchy. The Portuguese took charge of training this week ahead of United’s Premier League trip to Ipswich Town on Sunday.
Speaking in his first pre-match press conference, Amorim made clear what he expects from his new players.
Asked for his assessment of the team’s weaknesses this season, Amorim said: “I think we lose the ball too often and we have to keep the ball. We have to be better running back. I think that is clear for everybody.”
He added: “I think we have to improve the physical aspect of the team. I don’t know how long it will take, I know if you are in United you have to win games, so I will not tell you I need a lot of time.”
Amorim elaborated during a lengthy interview with Sky Sports, telling Gary Neville: “The problem is with the ball. I think we lose the ball too fast. We win the ball, we lose the ball, and you cannot press high all the time, so you have to keep the ball and understand that you have to be in position to start one play.
“This is something that, with the ball, we can press better. So the focus this week also was in that part. If we don’t lose the ball, you can push higher; if you are higher, you can press better. It’s like a snowball, everything is connected.”
But Amorim also said he “truly believes” in Manchester United’s squad and that he is the right man to take the club back to the top.
“It’s bigger (than I imagined),” he said of the club he has taken over. “There’s a lot of departments, it’s so much different than Sporting – and Sporting is a big club in Portugal.
“This you feel is a global club, so you have so much to do. It’s not just coaching the team, but I have a lot of help, a lot of meetings. I feel very happy, very comfortable. I feel at home.”