Amorim Close to Finding Ideal Man Utd Lineup Ahead of Nottingham Forest Clash
Dec 6 (Reuters) – Ruben Amorim is gaining valuable insights into his Manchester United squad and is getting closer to discovering the optimal lineup to maximize his team’s potential, the manager said ahead of their Premier League match against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
United, currently 13th in the league, impressed in Amorim’s first home Premier League game, thrashing Everton 4-0 last week, but were dealt a 2-0 defeat by Arsenal on Wednesday after making several changes to the team. When asked if the squad rotations had helped him identify his best starting XI, Amorim explained: “You get an idea, but we also face the challenge of players returning without proper training, so managing their workload is crucial.
“You have to understand your players. For instance, Bruno Fernandes was a bit fatigued by the end of the Arsenal match, but we know he will recover well. As for Manuel Ugarte, I’ve known him for a long time and understand that he needs more time to adjust. We’re in the process of getting to know the players and managing that. We are getting closer to having a clearer idea, yes.”
United will host seventh-placed Forest on Saturday, just days after their loss to Arsenal, and with a packed December schedule, Amorim admitted there’s limited time to implement his desired style of play. “We don’t have enough time to fully train our structure. It’s difficult to manage everything, but we’re improving in certain areas,” he said.
The Portuguese manager emphasized the importance of increasing work rate off the ball, highlighting it as a key focus for the team. “That’s a crucial aspect for us. We also have to understand our supporters—after just two weeks and four matches, they want to see effort. Then, they want to see us win. Once we show effort and start winning, they’ll want to see a dominant team moving forward. That’s our focus.”
Amorim also confirmed that defender Lisandro Martinez and midfielder Kobbie Mainoo will be available for the match, while Jonny Evans remains out and Victor Lindelof, though back in training, is not yet ready to play. “Martinez and Kobbie are back, and we’re prepared for the game,” he added.
