Amorim says anxiety around Old Trafford is affecting players’ mentality

Ruben Amorim claimed concerns around Old Trafford were affecting his players' mentality and admitted he faces a “big challenge” after Sunday's 3-0 defeat to Bournemouth.

After conceding twice in eight second-half minutes to fall 3-0 behind Tottenham on Thursday – in a match they ultimately lost 4-3 – this time it took just two minutes for United to capitulate to the same score against Bournemouth in a match where they were previously likely to stage a comeback following Dean Huijsen's first-half header from a free-kick.

Amorim pointed to the anxiety, both among his players and around the stadium, to explain how they had so quickly dismissed hopes of a comeback for the second time in three days, and urged his side to tune out the noise close to prevent a recurrence of the occurrence. future.

“I think understanding our game has a lot to do with mentality,” he said. “You already feel it with the first goal kick [Andre] Onana, he thinks about what to do, tries to push the other guys – and everyone is so worried.

“Right now, everyone at our club is tired of this moment. We know what we have to do, we have to tackle a lot of things, but we are ready. We already knew it, we knew the challenge is big.”

“But it is one set piece, one penalty and a moment where we have to forget the context and hold the ball for a while without trying to score two goals straight away. It is a very difficult moment and we have to understand what the players are doing.” what we are thinking about at that moment.'

Huijsen's opener added to the already long list of dead-ball goals United have conceded this season and beyond, leading to Amorim putting Carlos Fernandes in charge of coaching set pieces earlier this month – ahead of specialist coach Andreas Georgeson.

Questions will be asked about his influence given United's continued poor record, but Amorim said he bore responsibility for his side's inability to defend deliveries and suggested there would be no more backroom turmoil.

“The responsibility for everything is me, not Carlos,” he said. “We are a team in the good moments and in the bad moments. We have a way of doing things.

“We are working on that and we didn't lose because of set pieces. We lost because we created more chances but didn't score them. At that moment they scored everything against us. It's a difficult moment but the responsibility is on me, not at Carlos.”

How will Man Utd improve?

Amorim has repeatedly taken responsibility for United's recent form but defended his record despite another heavy defeat, following a match in which his side posted an expected goals ratio of 2.26 without managing to beat Kepa Arrizabalaga at the Bournemouth -goal.

“It's my responsibility to coach them,” he said. “Of course we want to improve. Everything is so difficult at the moment. At a club like Man Utd it is very difficult for everyone to lose 3-0 at home. The fans are very disappointed and tired, and you can feel that in the stadium .

“We don't give the ball away like before, we control the game better, we don't concede much space, we control transitions very well against a team that scores 60 percent of their goals by winning the ball in our half .

“It's about working on the way we play. To focus on the work, not on the moment, not on what you feel in the stadium.

“Concentrate on what you have to do when the ball is in one place or another. That's the only way I can help my players, to concentrate on the job itself.”

“Sometimes too many games is too much, but sometimes you need another game. We will continue until the end.”

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