In the 17th round of the Premier League, Manchester United suffered a 0-3 defeat at home to Bournemouth. After the match, Manchester United manager Amorim faced the media and analyzed a series of controversial topics in the match in detail.
Trouble with goals conceded from set pieces
Faced with a reporter's question about the mistake in defending set-pieces, Amorim responded frankly: "Indeed, the mistake in set-pieces has put everyone under pressure, and from the moment the whistle blew, we could feel the tension on the pitch. Even though we had a lot of chances to score after that, the other team still scored two goals, which was extremely painful for us. After the third goal, it was as if the entire stadium felt the pain - the fans, the players, everyone. It was a tough moment, but we have to face it and prepare for the next game.
Attribution of Responsibility for Set-Piece Defense
When asked if he was considering adjusting his set-piece defense strategy, Amorim was adamant: "No, the responsibility for everything lies with me, not Carlos (assistant coach Carlos Fernandez). We are a team and we have to work together in good times and bad. We have our style of doing things, are trying to improve and will continue to improve in this area as well. But our losses are not from set pieces, but because we create more chances and fail to convert them into goals. Just like against Tottenham, we created countless chances and still lost. The responsibility lies with me, not Carlos."
Coping strategies for basic issues
Addressing the underlying issues of possession and set-piece defense, Amorim admitted: "It's definitely an obvious one. Although we had more possession and created more chances, we did quite well on the defensive end. Of course, the result wasn't ideal, but we did defend better than our opponents because we limited their high-risk offense. We created more chances and were more aggressive on offense. However, the failure to convert into goals at crucial moments led to the eventual loss. It was certainly a tough game and we must seek a breakthrough in this.
The Importance of Player Coaching
Speaking about the top players' performance in the basics of possession and set-piece defense, Amorim said, "It's my job to coach the players. Of course, we are eager to improve, but the current situation is even more serious. At a big club like Manchester United, losing 0-3 at home is a huge blow for everyone. The fans are disappointed and tired of the situation. I can understand how they feel. But we have to face the reality and we know how to deal with it, so we have to improve our set-piece defense. I think our passing errors have decreased compared to before, we control the game tempo better and limit the opponent's space. But we still have a lot of room for improvement at set-pieces."
Adjustment of players' psychological state
Finally, the reporter mentioned the mismatches and psychological problems the players had during the game, and Amorim argued, "I think a lot of these problems, these moments, the understanding of the game, stems from the psychological level. You can feel it not only with the players, but also with the fans. You could see it in Andre Onana's opening goal, when he was thinking about how to react and trying to motivate his teammates. Everyone is feeling anxious. So at this stage of our club's life, everyone is tired of the situation. But we know it well, so we have to face it and focus on the next game. We know how to deal with it and we have to solve many problems, but we are ready for it. We have known for a long time that the challenges are many, but this is a really tough test for the fans and the players."
