Ruben Amorim, manager of Manchester United , attended the post-match press conference following his side’s 2-1 victory over Chelsea.
Reporter: What’s your take on this win?I think United deserved this victory. Um, I believe we had a really strong start—especially with our pressing and aggression. I feel we pressed Chelsea really well, and we also controlled the possession effectively. Overall, we scored two goals, and the entire first half was excellent.
As for the second half, um… it got complicated after the red card. Of course, emm, towards the end—maybe the last 15 minutes or so—we really played in a somewhat… tricky way. They scored a goal, we suffered, but in the end, we got the win.
Reporter: What do you think the players’ performance says about the team?I think it shows that, (he suddenly broke into a sly smile), we can do well—we can play well.
There were a lot of small details and situations when we scored the first goal: things like 3v1, 3v2, the goalkeeper coming off his line and then getting a red card. When it came to the final pass and finish, we really… If we say we suffered in the end and lacked a bit of control, then that’s actually one of the details we can improve on.
Reporter: Talking about Bruno Fernandes—he scored a goal today, and it was a double milestone for him (goals + appearances). But do you think the debate over his role in your system has been put to rest?There will definitely still be debates, but I think Bruno’s value to the team lies in this: even if he might not be in his optimal position or role, as long as he’s on the pitch, he will do his absolute best to perform well and help the team in his own way. I think that’s the most important thing.
I believe Bruno can definitely play better in this role, but everyone can play better—everyone can improve. Bruno is still outstanding: he has a strong ability to get close to the box, and he’s excellent at build-up play. He deserves all the praise he gets.
Reporter: The last 15 minutes saw United suffer but hold on for the win. How does this help the team’s mental strength?This is definitely important because every team has moments of u—uh, urgency—a desperate need to secure a win.
I think this team has shown that in many moments: Manchester United needs results, needs to win. So tonight, uh… we won tonight, didn’t we? So let’s put those tough moments behind us and focus on the most urgent thing—Manchester United needs to win the next game.
Today was a good game, and we can relax a little, but we need to quickly shift our focus to the key thing: the next game. We have to win next week.
Reporter: Do you think today’s game reflected the aggression you talked about yesterday?I think especially when it was 11 vs 11, you could see it clearly: first balls, second balls, duels, tackles, pace—all of that was there for everyone to see.
Even when Casemiro got the red card! Of course, he should have handled that situation better, but he was really aggressive, wasn’t he?
I just think the body language the players showed at the start sent a clear message: we really craved this win, truly.
Reporter: Regarding the substitution of Šeško—do you think that could have been done better?I’ve said this repeatedly: what’s the most pressing thing right now? What’s the urgency? (He used the word “urgency” five times in this sentence.) It’s that Manchester United needs to win.
This has nothing to do with tactical logic or tactical balance. It’s more about the fact that we need to win, so we have to find our way to win—no matter what that way is. In the end, winning is what we want.
The next urgency is the next game: we have to win it, so we’ll get back to training as soon as possible.
Reporter: How’s the Pope? Did he call you?(The whole room burst into laughter.)
Amorim: Was Sir Jim Ratcliffe here today too?The press officer nodded.
Amorim continued: That was a joke. So you journalists are happy with that, right? Everyone’s happy—don’t pretend you didn’t like it. I’ll tell you another joke if we win the next game.
Reporter: When you used the word “complicated,” did that reflect the pressure you’re under?Casemiro is the perfect example. He has five Champions League titles, but the pressure and self-reflection I see in him are greater than those in many younger players.
