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Journalism of Courage
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim said that the team can beat any other team in the Premier league after the Red Devils’ tight 1-0 loss to Arsenal on Sunday. United dominated the play for most of the match, keeping players like Bukayo Saka, Viktor Gyokeres and Declan Rice uncharacteristically quiet. They, however, conceded from a corner in the 13th minute after goalie Altay Bayindir wasn’t strong enough in the box, allowing Riccardo Calafiori to head home.
“We have players to win any game in the Premier League. We were more aggressive than last year. We went one against one all the game and we pressed high. We had quality with the ball,” Amorim said.
The coach also had special praise for United new boys Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo who gave the team a much-needed injection of pace and creativity which was severely lacking last season.
“We did a lot things right. We were more aggressive and brave. In certain moments I think Bryan and Cunha helped a lot. We stuck to the plan even when the stadium was nervous, we continued to play the way we played and that will help us in the future,” he said.
“(The fans) want that feeling again. We go to Old Trafford and we are not going to get bored. We need to win more than last season but they want to see something and feel something,” he added.
Talking about the goalie’s mistake when Arsenal’s William Saliba backed into Bayindir, who feebly batted the ball with one hand into the path of Italian Calafiori for an easy close-range header, Amorim said United needed to match Arsenal’s physicality on the corner.
“If you can watch the goal, I think (players) are allowed to do a lot of things in the corners. We need to do the same,” he said. “But when you touch that way the goalkeeper, he needs to use his hands to catch the ball, not to push players, or he chooses to push players and let the ball past. But again, (it) is the rules. If he’s allowed, we need to do the same thing,” Amorom said.
