Ruben Amorim has accepted the “robot -like” criticism of Gary Neville on his side of Manchester United, but says that football is changing and his team adapts in the right way.
Neville's comments came last weekend in the aftermath of the 0-0 draw in the Manchester Derby, where he hit the microm management of teams like United after a non-inspiring display for the goal.
“They are micromanaged within an inch of their lives – so robot -like, that game – and quite symptomatic, actually, of many games that we watch today,” said Neville on Sky Sports.
“It's not good enough. I feel disappointed.
“It is a Manchester derby and it should have more blood, thunder and risk, and courage to play the game and win the game than that.”
Amorim responded to the former United Defender, after he had already tackled the issue in his press conference after the game, where he accepted that the criticism was “fairly honest” after his side had only recorded two shots on Target at Old Trafford.
Speaking with Sky Sports he said: “In this game they see the games and in our moment, with the season we do, we have to accept it and this is pretty honest.
“Sometimes at the end of the game you don't like it because you try to change things very hard and they are talking about your players.
“But then, a day later, you can understand it. It's honest and I understand what he says.”
Amorim has now managed 30 games for the club since he was in November of Sporting, but his side continues to live in the bottom half of the table, with the point against Manchester City that only stolt their place in the top flight in the 13th.
Despite the lack of Momentum, the 39-year-old has insisted that his team is progressing with the evolution of the game, which can no longer rely on individual quality and the “feeling” legendary Red Devil's boss Sir Alex Ferguson has previously built up his successes.
“The game is completely different and you have to be so good in your basis and then that individual aspect and the freedom and fluidity of the game will appear. But for that I think we need time.
“There was an evolution, you can like it or not, but there was an evolution because you have all the games from the opponent's detail, of your departments, so that you can better understand the movements they make.
“In that evolution you have to be tactically better. Sometimes I talk to it [Darren] Fletcher, about how he prepared the games with Sir Alex Ferguson, it's completely different.
“There was more a feeling that aspect of the individual talent. I think it's not enough today and you can see some of the best teams, especially if you remember the years of Galacticos, they might have the best players in the world, but you have to have a connection.”
'We can't win such games'
Amorim continues to persist with his preference 3-4-3 formation, despite winning two of their last eight games, but also defended the decision after he claims that it is important that his team has an identity to trust before the individual quality can shine through.
United is now confronted with Lyon in their Europa League quarter final, as well as an away game to Newcastle Live on Sky Sports sandwiched between the two legs, which marks the most crucial test for his playing style because of their season now depends on qualifying for the Champions League for a second time on.
He continued: “We can't win the games as I said with the individual aspect and let the players do what they feel. I don't see the game like that.
“I see the game in a different way and again, nowadays they know everything about our players. The way [Alejandro] Garnacho will use the right foot on the left, every detail that the opponent knows.
“So we must have an idea of how we can play as a team and then expect the individual part to help us. Because ultimately the crucial point is to make a difference in the game.
“Sometimes we miss that creativity in the last third part, sometimes the quality. And when I am talking about the quality, it is not just the individual quality, it is the understanding of the game in the last third part.
“So I want to see both because I want to entertain people, but I also like to see my team defending as they defend in this game.”
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