Coach Ruben Amorim clearly understands that he cannot be swept away by emotions. Few people thought Manchester United would have many opportunities in their away trip to Liverpool, but they then left Anfield with a thrilling 2-1 victory.
Under Amorim, Man United have not had many impressive results, but this victory is probably their best performance. Not only because of the surprising score, but also because of the truly positive signals about the spirit and playing style that this team showed.
However, Amorim remained calm throughout the match. His players celebrated enthusiastically, but the Portuguese coach appeared cold and serious even in the post-match interview.
"It doesn't mean much. Today, I have to, but tomorrow, I won't. It was only 3 points. This victory will give us more confidence next week, bringing joy to the fans.
But it is in the past, the important thing is to focus on the future. Man United's prospects will change if we continue to maintain this spirit and play a little better. Things will change over time," Amorim said.
Those words sound calm, even familiar - the usual way of speaking after a Premier League match. But in the context of Man United's lack of stability, Amorim's caution is completely reasonable.
The win over Liverpool helped Man United have a streak of 2 consecutive wins in the Premier League for the first time under Amorim - nearly 11 months after his first match in charge of the club.
"What we need is to win 3 consecutive matches. Forget the top 4 or top 6. We have said that the goal is to return to Europe, but this victory has not changed anything. We are still the same team as before the match, just that everyone is seeing it differently. As for us, there is still a lot of work to do.
We were lucky in a few moments. We were in great spirit. We need to develop all that in the next match. The goal has always been like that," Amorim added.
Once again, the focus on the "next match" is nothing new. We have heard this from coaches and players for a long time, especially in interviews. That is often just a sentence they say when they don't know what else to say to fill the void.
However, for Man United, that is important. This team has had many wrong starts since Amorim took charge, and he himself knows this well.
No matter how happy Man United were after keeping Anfield quiet, the real challenge was still the ability to maintain a stable victory. Amorim's calmness is not just a flat statement from a coach. That must be a sign that this team is still trying to escape the habit of being explosive in big matches, and then stumbled just a few days later.
The reception of Brighton this weekend may lack the attraction or drama of the match against Liverpool. However, at the moment, that match is even more meaningful for the "Red Devils".
The match between Man United and Brighton takes place at 11:30 p.m. on October 25 (Vietnam time).
