Ruben Amorim has insisted Manchester United are still ‘far from perfection’ despite their recent uptick in form and hit back at criticism of his 3-4-3 formation.
Before the international break, United put together a five-match unbeaten league run, including a statement win over Liverpool and hard-earned draws at Nottingham Forest and Tottenham.
Yet, Amorim has argued that the upturn only underlined how far they remained from the level required, pushing back again against criticism of his formation and warning his players that intensity, not system, would determine their progress.
‘We are playing better, but we are playing better because we have more confidence, and that starts with good results, for example, against Liverpool,’ he told Stan Sport.
‘We are getting better, but I can share my feeling: when we finished the game against Tottenham and I was coming back to Carrington, I was watching the game and my feeling was frustration, that we are far from perfection.
‘We are far from being that team that can win every game. So I think we have a lot to do, but I also have the feeling, and I’ve been saying this for many months, that the formation is not the problem.
Ruben Amorim has insisted Manchester United are still ‘far from perfection’ despite their recent uptick in form
Before the international break, United put together a five-match unbeaten league run, including a statement win over Liverpool
‘The formation is the start of something, then it’s the dynamic, the confidence, the way we play, how competitive we are.
‘If you look at the games we struggled in this season, it was not about the formation for me. It was the lack of intensity. We need to be perfect in this league to win a lot of games.’
His remarks land during a period in which pressure has eased significantly, in contrast to the scrutiny that surrounded him last season when United finished 15th and again earlier this campaign after a shock League Cup exit to League Two Grimsby Town.
Amorim has been under pressure for much of his year-long tenure, though he retains the support of senior figures, including co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Though he has insisted that the backing changes little in the way he worked or behaved.
‘It’s always really important, but it’s more important for the fans to understand that we have a clear path, and we are going to do everything and continue that path no matter what.
‘To be honest, it doesn’t change much for me, because I’m not worried about losing my job. I always have that feeling.
‘But if you remember when Jim gave that interview, it settled down a lot around the club. The noise changed completely. That was really important for the team, and if it’s important for the team, it’s important for me.’
United defender Matthijs de Ligt’s assessment mirrors that of his manager, with the Dutch centre back admitting his own form had improved after a shift in mentality.
Amorim has been under pressure for much of his year-long tenure, though he retains the support of senior figures, including co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe
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Summer signing Benjamin Sesko suffered a knee injury in United’s draw with Spurs and is expected to be sidelined for several weeks
In an interview with Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf last week, he stressed that United’s progress owed as much to confidence as structure, arguing that embracing responsibility had helped him rediscover consistency.
The Red Devils will return from the international break seventh in the Premier League and two points off the Champions League places, having missed out on European football altogether this season.
Their push resumes against Everton at Old Trafford next Monday night.
In an otherwise bright outlook, the injury to summer signing Benjamin Sesko remains a concern. The £73.7million forward suffered a knee injury in the draw with Spurs, reducing his side to ten men for the final minutes and is expected to be sidelined for several weeks.
