Man Utd 3-2 Bodo/Glimt: Ruben Amorim enjoys ‘special’ first win despite ‘anxiety’
Amorim stressed that his use of full-backs was not revolutionary, but there was no doubt that his formation depended heavily on the performance of the number nine.
Whoever it is, he should allow the opposition defense to dominate and protect the ball long enough for support to arrive.
Amorim said Marcus Rashford is not fit for the job after the game against Ipswich Town. Hojlund’s performance against Bodo/Glimt was more encouraging, although his agent told TNT the Dane ultimately “succumbed” to fatigue.
Amorim spoke about his overall performance in the main press conference 20 minutes later, praising the £72m signing from Atalanta but making some demands.
“He has to improve further because sometimes he touches the ball too much when he has the ball, but when we are in the low post he is very important because he is the one who connects in transition,” Amorim said.
“For goals, he was very aggressive in the penalty area. He is a good player and scored the most difficult goals and did a great job today.”
For Amorim, the pace of play is fast – United’s longest break between games towards the end of the year is four days.
If the club progresses in the Carabao Cup, the gap between games will not be wider before the end of January.
But Amorim did give the impression he was enjoying himself, with United fans having composed a song for him and giving him a warm welcome as he emerged from the tunnel, and when he returned to the pitch and won the game, The fans also received him warmly.
“It’s special because I’m from Portugal and half the people in the stadium don’t know me,” he said.
“I haven’t done anything for this club yet, but the way they have supported me from the beginning makes me feel like I’m not alone now, I’m one of them. I hope not to let them down.”
