“More time to train is very important,” says Ruben Amorim
Coach reacts to Manchester United’s win over Steaua Bucharest
Manchester United secured a direct place in the UEFA Europa League round of 16 after beating Steaua Bucharest 2-0. Red Devils coach Ruben Amorim says avoiding two more games is a positive as “more time to train is very important”.
«It is really, really important for us. For everyone to train, to create connections – even among the staff . Everyone in training, on the pitch, getting to know each other… I think it is very important. We have a week to prepare for the game, so at the beginning of the week we can work on our ideas and still have time to focus on the opponents. The players can also rest and I can understand them better», said Amorim, who highlights the qualities of the team that beat the Romanians this Thursday: «I didn’t see much difference in the way they played, but we had more time to think and we can already see some moves. The ideas are there because we have more time to think about the game. Game by game, we will win. There is always the responsibility of fighting for trophies for Manchester United . At this stage of the competition, anything can happen. We will see.»
«I think we controlled the game well. We had a lot of possession. We also have to understand that, with all due respect, our opponents are not at the same level as those in the Premier League . We started a little slowly, but our opponents also came close to us. They covered all the space and ran a lot», began by analysing Ruben Amorim. «But we managed to create opportunities and in the second half, they got tired and we managed to find space between the lines», he added. At half-time, Amad Diallo and Garnacho came on , players who «helped a lot»: «The 1-on-1s between Amad and Garnacho helped a lot. We managed to score two but we could have scored more. We have to do better in these situations, but it was a good game», said the coach.
There was also room for praise for Kobbie Mainoo, who played in a more advanced position and was involved in both goals, scoring the second and assisting Diogo Dalot for the first: «He played very well in that position, with more freedom and less defensive responsibility. He was closer to the area. He has great technique and can change a game, I think it is a good position for him. We will see. I am happy to see him enjoying himself more on the pitch. He can do even better. He often worries too much about recovery. Today, I felt he enjoyed the game more and I am very happy about that», he praised.
