Ruben Amorim admitted that “a lack of quality” cost Manchester United in their 1-0 defeat against Nottingham Forest.
Anthony Elanga came back to chase his former club by scoring an excellent individual goal after just five minutes, which was sufficient for the hosts to claim all three points on the city.
United could not find an equalizer despite registering 24 shots on Doel-Hun joint record (from 2003-04) in a Premier League road competition without scoring.
The best chances of the visitors saw Diogo Dalot against the crossbar in the first half, while the beautiful goal line of Murillo Harry Maguire boomed deep in the stopping time.
Amorim thought that United deserved not to leave the East Midlands empty -handed, but acknowledged that his side had to improve in the last third.
United is scored scary in Nottingham.#MUFC || #NFomun
– Manchester United (@manutd) April 1, 2025
“We checked the game, but we already knew that this team could score goals out of nothing,” he said TNT Sports. “When they scored, we changed the game a bit of what they wanted.
“We know the characters of the team, and one goal can place them in one situation they love. We have to score two goals to win a match and that is frustrating because it was the start of the game.
“We helped them to win three points. We tried with good chances, but in the last third part, the last pass, the last assist was not there. If we don't have that, we can't score goals.
“This season is so. We had many shots on the goal, we pushed the opponent to the last third, but in the last third part we had a lack of quality.
“We have to win games, and we earned more in this game. That is clear, but it is our fault, and we have to be better in the last third part.
“We should have won this game, not even pulled. But in the end we lost three points.”
Nottingham Forest 1-0 MAN UTD
The early goal of Anthony Elanga saw Nottingham Forest Veilig Thuis and away victories over Manchester United in the same competition season for the first time since 1991-92.
Check our statistics page at the game: pic.twitter.com/J8idgzbf7i
– Opta Analyst (@Optaanalyst) April 1, 2025
The defeat left United 13th when their undefeated streak of four games in the competition ended on Tuesday.
A slow start was again their undoing; Only Leicester City (25) has admitted the opening goal in more competitions under all Premier League parties than the 23 of United in all competitions this season.
The victory of Forest also marked the 13th defeat of the season in the Premier League, their second most in a campaign in the competition, only one of their unwanted record of 14 in 2023-24.
Amorim acknowledged that his side had to pick himself up for the crucial derby from Sunday at home at Fierce Rivals Manchester City.
“If you look at the game, we improve the way we play football, we create opportunities and dominate the games more,” Amorim added to BBC Radio 5 Live.
“We know that this season will be the case, Win Momentum, Loss Momentum. We will continue to enter the next game.”
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