Manchester United are on a roll following recent victories, including the morale-boosting win over deadly rivals Liverpool at Anfield. But the dust has settled on that fine win and boss Ruben Amorim has another landmark target to overcome when they face Brighton at Old Trafford on Saturday afternoon.
Mixed results so far for Man United
It’s been a turbulent period for Man United following a dismal 15th-place finish and a Europa League final defeat last season, the club also failed to qualify for European competition. Amorim's side currently sit ninth in the Premier League, but top-four ambitions have improved following recent, positive results. The new-look attack, featuring signings Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko and Matheus Cunha, have shown promise but the early exit from the Carabao Cup to Grimsby Town was damaging. With significant transfer activity and a lack of European football, the pressure remains on Amorim to deliver more consistent results and improve on the previous season's poor performance.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportAmorim facing injury worries ahead of Brighton
Amorim said: "The squad is fine. We have some doubts, we had some issues during the week, with Harry Maguire and Mason Mount. Knocks, but nothing serious. Licha (Martinez) is out, but the rest are ready for the game. I think it's always going to be like always, but it's going to be a very difficult game. It's a difficult team. They are fun to watch, really good with build-up, really strong with transitions in every aspect of the game and are doing well with set-pieces. I don't know (when he will return), he trained really well. Not with us, but on the next pitch and I was watching also the training. He's feeling well and the knee is responding really well, so I don't want to say one specific day or week, but he's near to starting the training with the team. Then it depends whether he wins a place or not. That will depend on him, but he is closer to returning to (full) training."
The numbers stack up for Amorim
Following their victory against Sunderland before the international break, Amorim's side secured that thrilling win at Anfield, achieving back-to-back Premier League wins for the first time under the Portuguese boss. The double gave United a significant boost and moved them within two points of Liverpool. Amorim's next challenge is to build on this success and guide United to a third consecutive victory, a feat the club has not accomplished in 49 games. That winning run came during games in February last year when they beat Wolves, West Ham, and Aston Villa, which was part of a larger winning streak under former manager Erik ten Hag.
On the win over Liverpool, Amorim said: "We use the good spirit of winning games we know that was a good weekend for us but our focus is on the next game. That is in the past and we need to understand that football changes a lot, especially this kind of club so we are not thinking about the last game, we are thinking about this game and it is going to be really hard to win."
Getty Images SportAmorim lauds changing systems
Amorim said: "We have one identity, one way of playing but we adapt what kind of game we need to play in the moment. You could sense that the first half against Sunderland was not the same as the second half. We know how to manage that. Against Liverpool we scored right away in the first play and then we managed the game and played a different style because it was needed in that moment – that is a good thing. Then we have a good spirit and sometimes when you have a good spirit, you have a bit of luck that you need to win games."
After the visit of Brighton, United have away matches at Nottingham Forest on November 1st and Tottenham on November 8th. Later in November, they will host Everton.