-Credit:Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images.
Ruben Amorim sensed a much-improved Manchester United performance was in the offing ahead of last Sunday’s 2-2 draw with Liverpool at Anfield.
“Really good,” Amorim told MUTV when reviewing his team’s work on the training ground last week. “It’s so much different when you, for example, have two trainings [sessions] to have everybody, to explain the idea, to work on the little things, and you are happier.
“You feel that you are improving and that is the feeling that I have had this week. Let’s see on the game.”
READ MORE: Marcus Rashford saga might have taken another twist as Manchester United training update given
READ MORE: Manchester United’s plan for summer transfer window is already taking shape
United produced their best performance under the Portuguese head coach thus far against the Premier League leaders, securing a well-deserved point. United’s players fought tirelessly, producing the kind of performance they are expected to put on every time they cross the white line.
Having lost 2-0 to Newcastle United six days before the trip Anfield, marking a fourth defeat in a row, United’s chances of stopping the Liverpool juggernaut appeared to be slim. However, the opportunity to get a decent amount of time on the training ground made all the difference.
Amorim arrived at Old Trafford just as the season paused for the November international break. Following the restart on November 24, United played 11 games in the space of just 36 days before the end of 2024, with turnaround times offering little in the way of meaningful time that could be spent on the Carrington pitches.
Unsurprisingly, throughout that run, Amorim regularly highlighted the need for time on the training ground to get his ideas across. His team’s performance at Anfield suggested that he was right.
By the time United arrive at the Emirates Stadium to face Arsenal in the third round of the FA Cup on Sunday afternoon, they will have had a full week since they last took to the field. Amorim must be feeling confident that will result in his side producing an even better showing than what they produced last time out.
However, the clear midweek United have had without a game this week to prepare for Sunday’s trip to the capital is a luxury Amorim will soon have to forget about for the time being.
Ruben Amorim will be itching to spend as much time at Carrington as possible in the coming weeks. -Credit:Alex Livesey/Getty Images.
The trip to the Emirates is the first of six games United will have to navigate their way through in 19 days, marking the beginning of another fixture marathon until the end of January. United, after facing Arsenal, host Southampton at Old Trafford next Thursday night and that will mark the first of three consecutive Thursday evenings they will be in action, with the conclusion of the Europa League league phase looming.
The Reds face Rangers at Old Trafford on January 23 before travelling to Romania to face FCSB in the final league phase assignment on January 30. Winning the Europa League is a realistic ambition United should be aiming for in the second half of this season, and securing positive results in their final two league phase matches would boost their hopes of achieving that dream.
The new Europa League format means the top eight teams in the league phase will automatically qualify for the last-16 in March. Those who finish between ninth and 24th will require a two-legged play-off tie in February to try and reach the next stage.
United currently occupy seventh in the table, one point clear of ninth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, meaning their Europa League destiny is in their own hands. The importance of avoiding a two-legged play-off tie next month cannot be understated.
United’s February schedule already consists of four Premier League fixtures and possibly a fourth round FA Cup fixture. If United are knocked out of the competition this weekend, the second weekend in February will mark a rare weekend off.
However, if United are to progress to the FA Cup fourth round, their next game immediately after that tie would be the first leg of their Europa League play-off tie on February 13. United are currently scheduled to face Tottenham Hotspur at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on February 16, meaning the prospect of playing less than 72 hours earlier would hinder Amorim’s preparation for another trip to north London.
The second leg of the aforementioned play-off tie would be played on February 20 – two days before a trip to Goodison Park to face Everton, though that would have to be pushed back to February 23.
United’s performance at Liverpool highlighted just how important time on the training ground can be for a head coach trying to install a new identity and philosophy. United need to be able spend more time at Carrington without the distraction of games they can avoid.