Rúben Amorim issues warning shot to Manchester United stars who “need to improve” in one area

Rúben Amorim has issued a warning shot to his Manchester United players as they prepare to face Southampton at Old Trafford on Thursday evening.

Manchester United have entered 2025 with a renewed sense of purpose after a disappointing close to 2024, where they endured four consecutive defeats across all competitions.

Under Rúben Amorim, the Reds delivered a spirited performance in a 2-2 draw against league leaders Liverpool at Anfield and followed it up with a dramatic FA Cup triumph over Arsenal, sealed by Altay Bayındır’s penalty shootout heroics.

Sitting 13th in the Premier League, United now prepare for their first home game of the year, hosting bottom-placed Southampton on Thursday evening at Old Trafford. The match marks the start of a crucial three-game home run, offering a prime opportunity to build momentum.

After two weeks of focused training, fans are optimistic that the team will begin to show more consistency and a clearer identity as the season progresses.

Amorim issues warning shot to United players

The last two games have seen United perform well against Liverpool and Arsenal, but there was little expectation of the team prior to this, which is a fact Amorim knows.

Speaking to the press on Wednesday afternoon ahead of the Southampton tie, Amorim fired a warning shot to his attacking players, explaining that they must spend more time with the ball in the opposition’s defensive third.

“I think the most difficult thing to train in one team is the way you build with the ball,” he said. “And in the final third, the way you play, the way you create situations, that is what a big team should do very well but we also need time to train.

“We have had a lack of goals for a long time and because we don’t spend a lot of times with the ball in the last third during games. We did it against Nottingham [Forest] and also Bournemouth, we had situations, but we need to improve in that part of the game.

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“And I understand that in this moment it’s okay to play like that… we divided the game against Liverpool but against Arsenal, we waited for the opportunity, but in the future we cannot play like that, and I know that. We need time to build a different way of playing.

“Now we are focused on different things and then in the future we are going to focus on that. But this game, the fans will expect more from us and we have to deliver. Or try.

“But the most important thing is to fight in the game and to play the game, and in the end, win the game.”

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