“He’s even faster, and you feel it in the game” - Ruben Amorim claims 2 Manchester United stars will improve further despite Spurs loss
Following Manchester United's Premier League clash against Tottenham Hotspur, the Red Devils' head coach Ruben Amorim claimed that Joshua Zirkzee and Patrick Dorgu will improve. The match ended in a 1-0 loss for United on Sunday (February 16) at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Ruben Amorim had to work his way to name players from his injury-riddled squad to face Tottenham. While the results did not favor Manchester United, the Portuguese manager found a silver lining in Zirkzee and Dorgu's performances.
Joshua Zirkzee, who arrived at Old Trafford from Bologna in July 2024, had two successful dribbles from four attempts and one key pass against Tottenham. He also won three out of 13 duels and made two clearances. In the post-match press conference, Amorim addressed the Dutchman's display and said (via Manchester World):
"I think Josh is not a clear nine, he played more as a 10. He’s stronger physically, he’s thinner, he’s working really hard and he played in a better position for him and he’s improving, he’s winning more duels, he’s even faster, and you feel it in the game. That helped us to make the decision."
Ruben Amorim also spoke about Patrick Dorgu, who joined Manchester United earlier this month. The Dane made two key passes and won nine out of 10 duels. The former Sporting CP manager said:
"Dorgu: the way Tottenham press really high, sometimes you have more time to think than the other games. He played on the left also, he has experience to play left and right. Dorguy will improve a lot and Josh the same thing."
Amid Manchester United's injury crisis, it seems Ruben Amorim will rely on Joshua Zirkzee and Patrick Dorgu to improve their upcoming performances, with the Red Devils standing 15th on the Premier League table after 25 matches.
Ruben Amorim on Manchester United's 1-0 loss against Spurs in PL
Ruben Amorim shared his thoughts on Manchester United's 1-0 defeat against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League. During the post-match press conference, the Red Devils boss addressed the loss, saying (via Sky Sports):
"In the end, they score, we didn't. That was the big difference in the game. We had a lot of chances but in the end they scored one and we didn't."
"The first step is to create situations. We have had games where we are around the box and not created situations. This game we create situations. But in this game with two teams not doing well, one goal was always going to make the difference," Amorim added.
James Maddison netted the sole goal of the match for Tottenham Hotspur with a right-footed shot from close range in the 13th minute. Manchester United maintained a ball possession of 44% while having six shots on target and creating two big chances.
Ruben Amorim also spoke about the injury woes that make his job as manager difficult. He said:
"You start with one idea. We were asking about a long week for so long. And we worked our principles but day after day you lose players that change your approach to the game. I could not play the same way with Joshua [Zirkzee] as I can with Amad [Diallo]."
"Sometimes you want Bruno [Fernandes] to reach the ball in the build-up because he's really good switching the play. But then you want Bruno also to press and it's really hard. And when you are changing all the time to get the players to react to the base, it's really hard," he added.
"What you see guys and what you discuss every week, I also see. I have a lot of problems, my job is so, so hard here. But I stick with my beliefs," Amorim concluded.
Ruben Amorim will hope to have some of his players back in action and a better performance in their upcoming Premier League clash against Everton on Saturday (February 22) at Goodison Park.