Rúben Amorim is confident that two Manchester United stars are going to become so much better this season after a 1-1 draw with Fiorentina.
Rúben Amorim’s Manchester United ended their 2025 pre-season on a high, lifting the Snapdragon Cup after edging Fiorentina on penalties following a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.
New arrival Benjamin Šeško was introduced to the home crowd before kick-off, but the visitors struck first, with Simon Sohm left free to finish inside ten minutes.
United responded strongly and levelled midway through the first half when Bruno Fernandes’ pinpoint corner forced Robin Gosens to turn the ball into his own net. Bryan Mbeumo’s crosses then created further openings for Leny Yoro and Ayden Heaven, though neither could convert before half-time.
United took control after the break, and Amorim’s late substitutions injected fresh urgency. Chances fell to Matheus Cunha, Mason Mount, and Amad, but the deadlock remained as the final whistle blew.
In the shootout, both sides scored their first four spot-kicks before Altay Bayındır saved from Fabiano Parisi. Kobbie Mainoo then confidently converted the decisive penalty to secure the victory and the trophy for United.
Amorim knows Cunha and Mbeumo will improve
The pre-season tour has given United’s fans a chance to see new signings Mbeumo and Cunha, brought in for a combined £127 million, with the former putting on a fantastic performance at Old Trafford against Fiorentina.
However, both players are still settling into life at United following their respective steps up from Wolverhampton Wanderers and Brentford. Still, the improvement across each game is evident.
Amorim, speaking after the fixture, admitted he feels that neither player is entirely up to speed, but when they are, they will become ‘so much better’ for United.’
“I think they are maybe 50/60% of what they can do,” Amorim explained. “I think, like any other team, we are going to improve during the season, and they are going to be so much better.”
Mbeumo and Cunha will improve United’s consistency
Although debate will be had in the coming months about whether the signings of Mbeumo and Cunha are an upgrade on the old wing pairing of Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho, what works in the former duo’s favour is that they will bring consistency to United.
There is no doubt that, when playing at their best, both Rashford and Garnacho were devastating transition forwards, but far too often, their form fluctuated, and they failed to provide a consistent baseline of performances to build from.
With Amorim looking to make his team a side more dominant on the ball, Cunha and Mbeumo will bring a better level of quality and consistency in possession, while also maintaining the high level of transition threat United is famed for.
Matthijs de Ligt recently commented that he was surprised by Cunha’s speed, and with the Brazilian set to improve in the coming weeks and months, Amorim will be able to utilise their baseline performance levels well.
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