New Delhi: Ruben Amorim may not have brought the amount of success or a complete turnaround to Manchester United as one may have hoped initially when he joined the team in November. It has been a series of disappointing results with occasional glimpses of the potential the United squad has. Before his visit to Anfield, he had been vocal about his team’s chances of being relegated after losing five of his eight Premier League games.
Before facing Liverpool, currently the toughest team in European football, the Portuguese coach claimed that his players were borderline “anxious”. These are words that don’t exactly exhibit confidence when meeting the Premier League table toppers. However, United turned up a different side and delivered on all the qualities that Amorim had noted were missing in the United squad as they finished on a 2-2 draw.
This would be one of the two best results under Amorim, along with the Manchester derby win at the Etihad Stadium. At Anfield, the side gave a more wholesome performance. Against Manchester City, United stole those three points at the last moment with a final two-minute goal. Against Liverpool, who were expected to walk over United, the Red Devils were able to hold their ground.
Manchester United’s nerves of steel
It was Lisandro Martinez who broke the deadlock and gave United the lead in the 52nd minute. Cody Gapko’s amazing strike and Mohamed Salah’s penalty though had them with a goal deficit, United looked like they were hunting for their equalizer constantly. They were not outdone anyhow and Amad Diallo’s strike at the 80th minute was enough for them to share the points.
Harry Maguire missed a close shot in the closing of the seven minutes added and that would have given all the points and would have marked their first win at Anfield since 2016. The performance is a clear indication that Amorim might be having an effect on the United squad and that the squad is reacting to his messages. Man United may have finally shown their true mettle and silenced Amroim’s critics as well.
What United need now is to perform with consistency and display their best game wherever they turn up. United captain Bruno Fernandes returned to the midfield after being given a red card in the Red Devil’s 2-0 loss against Wolves. Fernandes had the most honest reaction after the draw, stating that if they could do this against Liverpool, there is no reason why this performance can’t be repeated. It is a thought that should be on everyone’s mind at Old Trafford.
Fernades pointed out that their position in the points table shows why they have been at the receiving end of the criticism. Speaking about their performance in the season, the 30-year-old said that it was frustrating and his good performance came at the right moment. Further, he noted that the “passion” with which they played against Liverpool, shows what the side is capable of but also noted that they needed to repeat this performance in every game.
🚨 Rúben Amorim: “Everybody at Man United is too comfortable, sometimes we need a shock”.
“I am trying to push, I’m challenging these players in everything. We lost three games in a row at home, some of the games we suffered like two goals without doing nothing”. pic.twitter.com/GcnBhFDwgR
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 5, 2025
Amorim can be credited for arranging United’s midfield into a tight set-up, with Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte in a more competitive position against their Liverpool counterparts. They were picked ahead of the aged duo of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen, who were not showing energy during their loss against Newcastle United at home.
Amorim has said that this performance and setup needs to be more consistent and noted that the team has to be focused and have a fighting spirit. This is how the 39-year-old feels the team would consistently win. Having won one of the biggest games of their season, United have to keep their winning dice on the roll now.
Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United showed their actual potential against Liverpool at Anfield but question remains on their lack of consistency. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
