Amorim says Manchester United have grown stronger and can avenge Spurs, missing out on the Champions League turned out to be a blessing! Responds to Ronaldo’s criticism

Manchester United will travel to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday. Last season, the Red Devils were swept aside by Spurs four times, including a key 0-1 loss in the Europa League final, which meant missing out on European competition and setting the worst record in club history. Currently, Rúben Amorim feels United are playing better and can seek revenge.

Amorim said: "The player profiles in our team have evolved, but many players were here last season as well. We are now a stronger side, with higher quality players and a deeper understanding of the game. Also, the team is more confident and plays with greater assurance, so we control matches better. However, if you recall that final, Spurs had only one shot but still won the match. I expect this time to be different; we can perform better and hopefully get a bit of luck to secure the win."

Manchester United have not beaten Spurs for a long time, but Amorim says the players are full of confidence. "I think we are more confident now, believing we can win any game, and we have proven that we can. The last match was tough; we didn’t perform well at some crucial moments, which was totally different from the Brighton game," Amorim said. "Can we forget that there is still much to improve? The team is better prepared for what might happen in matches, but to win more consistently, we have a lot of work to do and many areas to enhance."

Amorim added: "Manchester United have the ability and confidence, but sometimes we face challenges. The team’s control is stronger, able to make changes when in trouble. We have players who can turn games around, and the new signings help us too. However, in the match against Nottingham Forest, we controlled the first half, but the team’s energy was different, which was apparent from the start of the game."

Since Lisandro Martínez joined full team training, Manchester United currently have zero injuries. Although Martínez might still miss the away game at Spurs, he is likely to return after the international break. Apart from him, all other Manchester United players are available for selection.

Regarding this, Amorim believes missing out on European competition has its benefits. "Sometimes players get injured during training, not just soft tissue injuries, and you never know what might happen next training session. If training intensity is too high, anything can occur. But I think the main reason is having only one match per week. This allows players with physical concerns an extra day of rest, so I believe that is the primary factor."

Amorim urges Manchester United to make good use of the positive side of the Europa League final loss. "The key is not just seeing the positives, but how to utilize them. In any situation in life, you can look at things positively or negatively. If you ask me whether I’d prefer to stay here with a trophy and Champions League qualification, more funds, and more players, of course I would. But on the other hand, you gain more time to train, understand players better, have more time to organize everything, strengthen the coaching staff’s connection, and prepare for the future. The future lies in European competition, so we strive to leverage the advantage of not having multiple games per week. So yes, I can see the positive side."

This week, Cristiano Ronaldo criticized Manchester United in an interview, saying the club’s structure is flawed, so Amorim cannot work miracles. The Portuguese star also slammed some United players for lacking passion for the Red Devils.

In response, Amorim said: "He certainly knows his words carry weight. What we need now is to focus on the future. Everyone knows the club made many mistakes in the past, but we are working hard to change. Don’t dwell on the past; focus on what we are doing now. Manchester United is reforming the club’s structure, operations, and the behavior we expect from players. We are making progress, so let’s concentrate on the task at hand, keep moving forward, and temporarily forget the past."

One area Manchester United needs to improve is defense, Amorim explained: "Our attack is indeed strong, but sometimes better defending leads to better offense. I think the issue lies in defending inside the box. In the last match, this was a struggle because we allowed opponents easy crosses. So, those small details we saw in the last game, we are working hard to improve this week. Early in the season, we conceded quite a few goals, but the defense was generally okay. Arsenal won but had few chances. However, against Nottingham Forest, the opponent had 17 shots, which is unacceptable and must change; we are monitoring this closely. We can play with the same attacking style to score more goals but also need to strengthen our defense."