Sunday 26 January 2025 21:55
Ruben Amorim addressed journalists at Craven Cottage after Manchester United's 1-0 Premier League victory on Sunday evening.

Lisandro Martinez's 78th-minute strike was all that separated hosts Fulham and United in a tight affair in west London before a crucial late goal-line clearance from young midfielder Toby Collyer helped secure three vital points for the Reds.

Amorim discussed Lisandro Martinez, Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford in his post-match press conference. You can read every word below.

Everyone’s aware it’s your big day tomorrow [40th birthday]. You told TV you feel like you’re turning 50 after managing United – I wonder if you could go into some depth about that, about why you feel you’re ageing quicker at Old Trafford?
"First of all, I say things to you guys that I regret right away because [the fact] you are talking about that is a funny thing, because we win, and it’s a good day for us. Of course, it was not a great performance and we can see it, but we fight for the win, we gave some time to the team to understand the game. [We were] not playing so well but give us time to have that bit of a luck that we need sometimes to win a football match. A clean sheet also, so let’s get this feeling to the next game.

Do you feel fortunate, really, because it was a deflected goal and you probably weren’t at your best in the first half? It was a test really today, wasn’t it?
"You need sometimes a little bit of luck, and we had some games that we lost, and in the end nobody cares because the result [is what] counts. I remember some chances that we miss, for example against Nottingham [Forest], Bournemouth, some goals in the first minute of the game that change the game. So, today I can see it that we have a lot to improve. We didn’t play so well with the ball but we gave time to the team and when you do have time with talented players, they can show in one play and they can change the game and today it was that situation."

Do you feel you were due some luck, and does that help tactical coherence?
"Again, we controlled the ball, we understand the momentum, when to go a little bit slow to the throw-in, when to take a little bit of time, when you have to return to play with the central defenders. These kinds of details are really important to give us time to have these kinds of moments from Bruno, from Garna, from Amad. They will find a chance. So we need to give time for our team to find a way to win the game. It’s a little bit lucky because the kick changed direction but we had some situations in the last games that was the opposite, so it was a good day today."

Martinez scored his goal in a similar way to the way he did at Anfield, is that what you want to see from your centre-backs, them getting forward and being aggressive?
"Yes, they are nowadays sometimes the midfielders because you don’t often have a lot of space between the lines and you have to find this space. They are the players who have the game in front and they have to be the midfielders, so it’s really important. I think when the centre defenders play well with the ball, we play well. It’s something that Licha does really well, he can take the ball. He has to continue and the other guys have to improve also in that area."

Rasmus had a bit of a difficult game, what do you view of his form at the moment?
"He wants it really hard and you can see it sometimes that without training, there is a disconnection. We can explain, but without training sometimes it goes away, when he should be near, sometimes he’s near when he should make a run. We don’t have time to make this connection, we don’t train these kinds of things, we just talk about these things. He has a lot to improve, like his team-mates. Sometimes you have a good game, other days you cannot have a good performance. The important thing is that I see every day that he wants it really bad. He talks about that [he] wants to train a little bit more in the end of trainings and that is the best thing to improve. But as a footballer, and he’s a young guy, he has to understand that sometimes you have a bad game, but you have to continue to go to the next."


Do you like how Martinez plays right on the edge or do you sometimes worry that he might go over the edge – there’s a lot of talk about his tackle on Traore?
"I cannot spend two months saying that we need to be more aggressive and fight more and then I say to Lisandro, ‘don’t fight too much’. So it’s a balance. The important thing is that Licha doesn’t want to harm another footballer, that is the most important thing. He wants to win and he shows this every time."

Garnacho started the last two games, what have you made and is he staying in this window now?
"That nobody knows. Anything can happen. But with Garnacho, he’s improving in every department of the game, the way that he recovers, the understanding of the game when he defends. I’m trying to find the best position for him – today he played a little bit more open, not so much inside. We need guys with the one-v-one [ability], but like I say I don’t know what’s going to happen until the end of the window."

You mentioned Hojlund struggling for goals and Zirkzee has scored only one in 14 games. Is there any way back for Marcus Rashford, who obviously has a proven record but hasn’t played for your team for 11 games now?
"It’s always the same reason."

What is that reason?
"The reason is the training, the way I see what a footballer should do in training, in life and it’s every day, every detail. So if things don’t change, I will not change."

So, if he’s still here after the window closes, is it the same situation?
"It’s the same situation for every player. If you do the maximum, if you do the right things, we can use every player. And you can see it today on the bench, we miss a little bit of pace to go, to change the game, to move some pieces, but I prefer it like that. I will put [Jorge] Vital [goalkeeping coach] before I put a player who doesn’t give the maximum every day, so I will not change in that part."

💯💯💯

This your news too long

Stick to what your know my coach