Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim knows his team have work to do (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)
Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has pledged to tackle the team’s ongoing issues with set-pieces and setbacks after a sorry 3-0 defeat at home to high-flying Bournemouth and admitted: “It’s my responsibility.”
The loss, which came just a week after an unforgettable derby victory over Manchester City, was met with boos at the final whistle and left the Red Devils stranded in 13th place in the Premier League.
Adding to the drama, Amorim’s press conference was briefly interrupted by a leak from the media room ceiling.
This Christmas will see United in the bottom half of the table for the first time since 1989, as Bournemouth repeated last season’s historic Old Trafford win with the same scoreline.
Set-pieces once again proved to be United’s downfall, with Dean Huijsen scoring from a first-half free-kick before Bournemouth sealed their victory with a penalty from Justin Kluivert and a quick follow-up strike from Antoine Semenyo.
“Without conceding nothing to the opponent and then one set-piece makes us more nervous, all the stadium,” said a disappointed Amorim.
Ruben Amorim’s side suffered a miserable weekend (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)
“I felt it since the first minute, there’s a lot of anxiety. That’s normal because of the context and it’s really disappointing.
“Then create a lot of chances to score and then again against like Tottenham, they score two goals and it’s really hard. After that third goal everyone is suffering in the stadium – the fans, the players, everybody.”
Head coach Amorim conceded that his team faces a challenging period but insists he is ready for the task, as United gear up for their next match on Boxing Day against an improved Wolves team following their 3-0 victory over Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Leicester.
The Portuguese coach continued: “It’s a tough moment but we have to face it and prepare for the next game.”
He took the blame for United’s “difficult moment” and added: “It’s my responsibility to coach them. Of course we want to improve and in this moment, everything is so (much) harder. A club like Manchester United to lose 3-0 at home, it’s really tough for everybody.
“Of course the fans are really disappointed and tired of this moment. You can feel it in the stadium, even in the first play, and I understand that, but we have to face it and we know what to do. We have to improve set-pieces.
“I think we are not giving the ball away as much as we do. We control better the game, we don’t concede a lot of spaces, transitions we control very well against one team that’s 60 per cent of the goals they score when they steal the ball in our half.
“We managed to do that but then in the set-pieces, one penalty and then that moment where we have to forget the context, everything and keep the ball for a moment and not try and score two goals right away.
“It’s a really tough moment and we have to understand what the players are thinking in that moment, when you suffer a 2-0, when you make a penalty, when the box is controlled.
“We will address that, we have to address that. It’s really tough for everybody to lose these types of games.”
Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola has played down the hype surrounding his team’s exceptional form, despite their rise to fifth in the league after a stunning win that leaves fans dreaming of Europe. Iraola said: “I think now (in) the standings everything is very close.
Antoine Semenyo scores Bournemouth’s third goal (Image: PA Wire/PA Images)
“I value the points. We have 28 points and these will not disappear but they are not enough for anything.”
“We have to add a lot of points still, so we go week by week, game by game, and now focusing on (Crystal) Palace, Fulham a little bit.
“But I don’t think now so early it makes sense to look much to the standings. I think they have to enjoy it a lot because normally it doesn’t happen a lot of times that you come to these stadiums.
“I’ve come as a player and it’s difficult to have this kind of result, so obviously we have to enjoy, they have to enjoy.
“But we know how much it costs to win one Premier League game, just one against anyone.
“To win one Premier League game is very, very difficult, so we have to continue the same way otherwise the results will be much worse, for sure.”
Source: https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/1992041/Ruben-Amorim-Man-Utd-Bournemouth