In the final minutes of the match against Arsenal, Ruben Amorim seemed quite annoyed with the way his players developed the ball from the back. The 39-year-old captain was angry when Andre Onana tried to pass the ball to Bruno Fernandes when the "Red Devils" captain was surrounded by opponents.
Then, another situation from Marcus Rashford made his coach feel annoyed. The English striker ran straight to the middle of the field to stand closer to the midfield, thereby making it easier to get the ball instead of running behind the Arsenal defense to create a breakthrough. Rashy turned and passed to Amad Diallo, then the ball slipped out of play. Witnessing this moment, Amorim threw the water bottle he was drinking to the ground.
Man United suffered their fourth consecutive defeat to Arsenal and also Amorim's first defeat with his new team. For most of the match, the underdogs tried to keep the game from falling apart. They almost did so when they held Arsenal back in the first half. However, defensive errors in set pieces cost Man United.
However, holding back was not enough and Man United could not maintain that for long. Statistics after the match showed that Arsenal had 35 touches in the opponent's penalty area, while Man United only had 6. The "Red Devils" most dangerous chance was probably Matthijs de Ligt's close-range header, but they could not take advantage of it either.
"We still don't have enough time. You can see tactical ideas all over the pitch but the most important space in the final third is quite deadlocked. Man United need to improve, be more decisive and sometimes aggressive" - Amorim shared.
This match also saw the next change in Amorim's starting lineup. He made 6 changes compared to the 4-0 win over Everton last week. Not to mention, Amorim also made continuous substitutions in each match. This action not only gave the 39-year-old captain the opportunity to experiment with the lineup but also helped his players save more energy. In the next 57 days, until February 1, 2025, Man United will have to play 15 matches, an average of nearly 4 days/match. This harsh schedule can defeat any team, so Amorim must be prepared.
Changes in the starting lineup or positions on the pitch will result in some situations where stars are out of sync, such as Noussair Mazraoui playing on the left. Absences like Luke Shaw will cause problems for a while before Amorim can find a ready replacement or sign a new one. So until they find the perfect fit for every position on the pitch, Amorim will continue to put the team to the test.
Manchester United have once again dropped into the bottom half of the table, but this was to be expected when Arsenal played at the Emirates. After three games unbeaten against weaker opponents, Amorim’s United were immediately stung when they faced the first team in the Big Six. There will be many difficult games between now and the end of the season, such as the recent away trip to London.
