Ruben Amorim believes he will learn more about his players in Thursday night's Premier League match against bottom club Southampton than in their previous two encounters against Liverpool and Arsenal.
The Manchester United head coach demanded more from his players following a run of four consecutive defeats in all competitions, culminating in a 2-0 home loss to Newcastle United on 30 December.
And the response he got was positive, with his side drawing 2-2 at league leaders Liverpool before winning their FA Cup third-round tie at Arsenal on penalties, where United played for nearly an hour with 10 men following Diogo Dalot's dismissal.
When asked if he felt that his team had turned a corner, Amorim said: "I think tomorrow will tell us more about our team than the last two games.
"There is no expectation in the last two games. Against Arsenal we waited for the opportunity. In the future we can’t play like that and I know that. Fans will expect more tomorrow. We have to deliver."
| Position Pos | Club | Played Pl | GD | Points Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 |
Brentford
BRE
|
21 | +3 | 28 |
| 11 |
Brighton
BHA
|
20 | +1 | 28 |
| 12 |
West Ham
WHU
|
21 | -14 | 26 |
| 13 |
Spurs
TOT
|
21 | +11 | 24 |
| 14 |
Crystal Palace
CRY
|
21 | -6 | 24 |
| 15 |
Man Utd
MUN
|
20 | -5 | 23 |
While Amorim has taken heart from the nature of Man Utd's recent displays, he acknowledges that as the home team, the onus will be on his players to be on the offensive against a Southampton side eight points adrift of second-bottom Leicester City.
"The most difficult thing to train in one team is the way you build with the ball and in the final third the way you create situations," Amorim explained.
"That is what a big team should do very well and for that we also need time to train. We have had for a long time a lack of goals.
"We don't spend a lot of times during games in the last third with the ball - we did it against Nottingham Forest but we need to improve in that part of the game. I understand in this moment it is OK to play like that against Liverpool and Arsenal - against Arsenal we waited for the opportunity, but in the future you cannot play like that.
"I know that, but we need time to build a different way of playing. In the future we are going to focus a lot on that."
'I don't feel pressure, I just want to win'
With Man Utd currently sitting 14th in the table, and having gone 12 years without a league title, Amorim was asked whether the level of expectation is why the team have struggled over recent seasons.
While the Portuguese head coach recognises the pressure, he is solely focused on winning the next match.
"Of course you feel the pressure of the club but in this moment, I don't feel that pressure," Amorim said.
"In the last years we haven't won the league. In the past here, if you didn't win the league one year you would have to win it the next. I don't feel that pressure.
"We have to bring that pressure to us because outside the fans are amazing. I don't feel that pressure, I just want to win. To feel that pressure in the future we need to win - we need to win titles and we need to win games."
Rashford latest; chance for Collyer
Man Utd beat Southampton 3-0 in the reverse fixture last September, but Marcus Rashford, one of the goalscorers at St Mary's Stadium on that occasion, looks unlikely to feature in the return match as he continues to be linked with an exit from the club this month.
"I just want to win tomorrow," Amorim added when asked about Rashford. "My focus is to win tomorrow and I will choose the players that I think are the best to win the game tomorrow. I am just focused on that."
Amorim did hint that another graduate of the club's academy, midfielder Toby Collyer, could earn himself a place in the starting XI against Southampton, having impressed with a second-half cameo display in the Red Devils' FA Cup triumph at Arsenal last time out.
"Toby is training really well - he has a lot of pace," said Amorim. "He likes to learn and he is one more option for tomorrow."
Amorim, however, won't be able to select Dalot, with the full-back serving a one-match suspension.
Can Juric build on first win?
While Amorim is looking to build some momentum, so too is his counterpart at Southampton, Ivan Juric, who oversaw the first victory since his appointment as manager in December with a 3-0 FA Cup third-round success against Championship side Swansea City last weekend.
"It was a good game. We did some good things and there's things to improve," said Juric. "It will be different against Manchester United, but we are preparing well. We will see.
"They [Man Utd] have changed the manager and the style of play, playing 3-4-3 formation like [Amorim played] at Sporting. They are trying to find the right way."
Juric hopes to have Flynn Downes available after the midfielder was forced off during the second half of Saints' Boxing Day defeat at his former club, West Ham United.
"He trained today," added Juric. "He is OK and we will see if he can play later. Everybody else is fit."
