Momentum, time, and belief can do wonders for a dressing room. For Ruben Amorim, the fruits of all three are beginning to provide ample cause for optimism amongst the Manchester United faithful.
An entertaining victory against Brighton solidified a third consecutive Premier League success for the Portuguese tactician, building upon the recent good form that has seen a run of four Old Trafford wins in as many outings.
For some, uncertainty continues to loom large. While for others, a period of suffering appears to be nothing more than an unsavoury memory.
Whatever way you look at it, United have won five of their previous seven fixtures, sit three points behind the top, and currently occupy fourth place in the table.
Not bad for a side that the media and subsections of a desperate social audience would have you believe is in full-scale crisis mode.
Winning is becoming a welcome habit for Manchester United
Make no mistake, recent history suggested a difficult Saturday awaited, as Fabian Hurzeler’s side hunted for a fourth consecutive win at Old Trafford.
But the confidence of a well-earned three points at Anfield provided cause for optimism, and this new-look United team is coming to terms with its surroundings.
A fundamental hallmark of Amorim’s philosophy is continuous attacking interchange and calculated transitions from back to front.
In Bruno Fernandes, Amad, Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, and Benjamin Sesko, the Theatre of Dreams is relishing the growth of a dynamic unit, and, to put it plainly, Brighton struggled to cope with a ruthless pressing mindset.
Although some may say it’s hardly rocket science in purchasing proven goal scorers to achieve success, you can look towards the weekly issues in Merseyside to highlight the inaccuracies of that statement.
Despite the opinions of 20 inspired agents and a bewilderingly confused pundit, Sesko continues to supply a promising avenue at the head of Amorim’s attack, and was unlucky not to add a goal to his well-worked assist.
The budding partnership of Amad and Mbeumo continues to flourish, and the latter took little time to transfer his finishing prowess to Manchester. Five goals in ten outings, and four from nine in the league, suggest the 26-year-old is at home in M16.
In Cunha, it was only a matter of time before he added goals to his breathtaking output, and how fitting that his first would be worthy of consideration for monthly awards?
People will continue to draw comparisons to many of the United greats. Regardless, I can’t help but feel we are witnessing the emergence of the Theatre’s latest genius.
And how can you ignore the enigmatic majesty of Fernandes, who marked his 300th appearance with another casual example of his undeniable quality.
He may not have registered a contribution, but how many footballers would have the awareness to intentionally allow that ball run onto the path of Mbeumo for a game-winning fourth?
As I’ve said many times, enjoy the man while he applies his trade in the North West.
I am not insinuating that we witnessed the perfect performance. There is room for improvement throughout, and another two goals conceded are frustrating.
However, despite a lukewarm start to the campaign, Brighton, a notoriously technical football team, was limited to a solitary big chance created and often looked devoid of ideas in the final third.
Furthermore, a tenacious home midfield limited Carlos Baleba to scraps, leading to his withdrawal after 59 minutes. There’s a lot to be said about modern expectations versus the reality of the situation.
Much of this surfaced as a result of Casemiro’s tireless efforts, with the 33-year-old rolling back the years with an all-action display. “He’s an example for everyone,” Amorim stated during his post-match interview.
“In the beginning, he was behind every midfielder, even Toby [Collyer]. But he fought, and he worked, and now he is back in [the] national team.
“He is so important for us. Today he ran a lot, he had to press so high and then return, and he is doing that. So, I am really pleased with him, and the other guys need to look at Casemiro.”
| Casemiro vs Brighton | 70 minutes playes |
| Goals | 1 |
| Assists | 1 |
| Pass Completion | 25/32 (78%) |
| Touches | 48 |
| Interceptions | 2 |
| Clearances | 1 |
| Blocked Shots | 1 |
| Recoveries | 5 |
| Ground Duels (Won) | 6 (4) |
Truthfully, I’m unsure how many victories will be enough to quell the thirst of a bloodthirsty media, but Ruben continues to ignore each and every one of them.
A trip to relegation-occupying Nottingham Forest will present the latest test for a visibly confident side, with ample opportunities to build upon a continuous climb toward European football.
As I stated yesterday evening, you can paint this run of form whatever way you desire. Still, our Portuguese leader has delivered five wins in seven, four from four at Old Trafford, and three in as many league outings.
Wins are like buses!
How are you feeling about this Manchester United team and its growth under Ruben Amorim? Let us know in the comments or on our socials.
Photo by operations@newsimages.co.uk via depositphotos.com. Statistics via Sofascore.com.
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2 responses to “Ruben Amorim is finally building momentum at Manchester United”
It’s wry good to read a balanced article. Not over the top or dark and pessimistic or calling for the manager to be removed.
How do I feel? Well apart from the obvious of utter joy at winning at Anfield and following that up with a fourth, (should have been 5 if only we’d had a goalie) I am pleasantly optimistic because the team look like a team, really together, working hard for each other and hurting together when things go a bit awry. There will be some trouble ahead but I do believe we have the right manager to get the best out of these players and with more of the right investment I think next season could see a serious title challenge. I think this season it’s too early but I think we’ll qualify for Europe, maybe even champions league.
Thank you for taking the time, Graham. It’s a pretty fair synopsis, and refreshing to see positivity building.