‘We didn’t suffer much’

Man Utd boss Ruben Amorim says it’s a good sign that they defended well and kept a clean sheet in 1-0 win over Fulham; insists team must improve further

Ruben Amorim welcomed a rare clean sheet in Manchester United’s 1-0 win at Fulham on Sunday but did not gloss over his side’s need to improve despite a vital three points. 

Lisandro Martinez’s deflected winner offered some respite to Amorim, who has won just four of his 12 Premier League games in charge. 

United climb to 12th in the table, now a comfortable 13 points above the bottom three. But their performance was in keeping with many others under two different managers this season, against sides with a fraction of their budget. 

Ruben Amorim

There was little to get United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe excited as he watched on in west London, but victory does dispel any remaining notion that United could be dragged into a relegation battle.

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“Not a great game and you can feel it, no great chances,” said Amorim. 

“We tried to control the game, tried to play our game but we need to improve a lot with the ball. It’s really important [to keep a clean sheet] because clearly you are closer to wining games and getting confidence. We didn’t suffer too much today and that’s a good sign. It’s not just the clean sheet, it’s the way we defended,” he added. 

Fulham’s bright start

Fulham made the brighter start but were also guilty of a lack of penetration in a pedestrian 90 minutes. 

Andre Onana returned in goal for the visitors despite his error for Brighton’s third goal in the Seagulls 3-1 win at Old Trafford last weekend. The Cameroonian was forced into two early saves from the lively Alex Iwobi. 

It took just before the hour mark for United to seriously threaten when Bruno Fernandes’ clever free-kick slid under the Fulham wall but just the wrong side of the post. Rasmus Hojlund’s return had been one of five changes made by Amorim from a dramatic 2-1 Europa League win over Rangers on Thursday. 

But the Dane’s goal drought extended to 11 games as he barely posed a threat before being replaced by Joshua Zirkzee. And it was little surprise that it was a moment of fortune rather than inspiration that broke the deadlock. Martinez took aim from long range but in his desperation to block, Sasa Lukic’s deflection saw the ball fly over goalkeeper Bernd Leno and dip into the top corner. “I think it was lucky, but an important win,” said Martinez. “It means a lot. Not only to the fans, but for us because we have suffered a lot.”

Leicester beat Spurs 2-1

Meanwhile, Leicester pushed Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou closer to the exit door with a 2-1 win that extended Spurs’ dismal run. Leicester pushed Tottenham boss Ange Postecoglou closer to the exit door with a 2-1 win that extended Spurs’ dismal run.

In another game, Aston Villa’s hopes of Champions League qualification for a second consecutive season were dented as an under-strength West Ham battled back to earn a 1-1 draw in Birmingham.

Amorim says 63-year-old coach has better chance of playing for United than Rashford

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim believes the club’s 63-year-old goalkeeper coach has a better chance of making his team than outcast striker Marcus Rashford. 

England international Rashford has not played for United since December 12 and was again left out of the squad for the 1-0 win at Fulham on Sunday. 
Amorim insisted goalkeeping coach Jorge Vital would have been a better option. “Today on the bench we missed a bit of pace to change the game, but I prefer it like this. I will put [in] Vital before I put [in] a player who doesn’t give the maximum every day, so I will not change in that department,” said Amorim. 
He added: “It’s always the same reason [why Rashford is not playing]. The reason is the training, what I think a footballer should do in training, in life and every day.”

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