Manager hails his squad for showing “very good signs” of understanding the game
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has urged his players to stay grounded and maintain their focus ahead of their next game against Nottingham Forest, warning that “one week can change everything” in the Premier League.
United provisionally climbed up to fourth in the table after beating Brighton 4-2, their third successive victory under Amorim suggesting they are turning a corner. But the Portuguese was quick to remind his side that they must be consistent and keep building on recent progress.
“Enjoy today but tomorrow we need to prepare for Nottingham Forest because, if you look at the table, two weeks can change everything,” Amorim said.
“One week can change everything. We need to enjoy the week but work really hard to prepare for the next one.
“Today, we finished the game with a goal that gave us a different feeling. So, when you have the right spirit, everything is going in your favour. We need to hold onto that, work really hard and take that to the next game.”
United went 3-0 up by the hour mark through goals from Matheus Cunha, Casemiro and Bryan Mbeumo, but Brighton clawed their way back to within a goal of denying the Red Devils all three points.
Mbeumo’s second goal in the sixth minute of added time calmed nerves and ensured the victory.
Amorim said: “It’s something that happens in football. You have the game under control and then you suffer a goal. And then we suffer a little bit.
“[Brighton] have a lot of talent. They have a lot of quality with the ball and they control that and they use that momentum to control the game.
“But we are improving in the way we respond to bad moments, and today, we did it again. We respond a little bit better and that’s really important.”
Amorim also said he was pleased with the way his players executed the game plan.
“We were brave in the way we pressed, especially in the first half, to win a lot of balls,” said United’s head coach. “We knew when to drop to defend a little bit lower, so I can see very good signs on the understanding of the game.”
