Ruben Amorim has defended his Manchester United side following their 1-1 draw against West Ham at Old Trafford, dismissing suggestions that the team is "going backwards". The draw against the Hammers leaves United sitting eighth in the Premier League standings.
Manchester United took the lead in the second half through Diogo Dalot, but were pegged back by a late Soungoutou Magassa equalizer from a corner. The result frustrated Amorim, who felt his team had the game under control but failed to capitalize on their lead. "It is really frustrating because you look at the game, you have the game under control and we didn't win," Amorim said. He lamented the team's inability to maintain possession and defend effectively after scoring, stating, "We couldn't do it, we couldn't maintain the ball and again we lost two points".
Amorim addressed concerns about his substitutions during the match, which saw four defensive changes made. He insisted that the changes were necessary due to the team losing too many second balls. "We are losing because of the second ball," Amorim explained. "Sometimes there's not more men in front that you are going to win the ball".
The Manchester United manager also responded to a question about not making more attacking substitutions with some frustration. Amorim was visibly annoyed, stating, "Frustrated, angry, that is it". He stressed the importance of focusing on details, particularly the corner that led to West Ham's equalizing goal. "That corner was the decisive moment," Amorim noted.
Dalot echoed his manager's disappointment, saying, "Obviously we are disappointed. We have to control much more of the game, especially at Old Trafford". He admitted that the team became too anxious after scoring and were sloppy in possession. "We had the game there, it shouldn't be like this," Dalot added.
Amorim, despite the dropped points, emphasized that his team needs to score more goals and maintain better control of games. He also pointed out the absence of Ayden in set pieces as a factor.
Looking ahead, Manchester United will aim to bounce back from the draw when they face Wolves. United have a mixed record against Wolves, with Amorim losing both games against them last season.
