Rúben Amorim has revealed his three-word public message to his Manchester United players ahead of their Europa League semi-final second leg against Athletic Club.
Manchester United host Athletic Club at Old Trafford for the second leg of their Europa League semi-final, looking to build on a 3-0 advantage from the first leg.
Goals from Casemiro and a Bruno Fernandes brace put Rúben Amorim’s side in control of the tie as they aim to book their place in the final.
Tottenham Hotspur also hold a lead, 3-1 on aggregate against FK Bodø/Glimt, but face a challenging second leg away in Norway.
With both clubs sitting 15th and 16th in the Premier League, winning the Europa League is their only realistic path back to Champions League football next season.
Amorim reveals three-word message to players
Amorim has been preparing his side for the better part of a week for the second leg. Academy players have been drafted into the first-team squad’s training sessions to ensure the starting team is fully fit and ready to take on the European semi-final.
Speaking to club media, Amorim was asked what message he had been sending to his squad, to which he replied that he has been repeating the same three-word phrase to his squad this week.
“I will say the same thing that I did during the week: ‘It’s not over’,” Amorim replied. “We have to be smart. We have to score goals.
“And I think the message is not for our players, [but] for our fans. We need them. They had a great environment in the last game. We need the same thing.
“Every duel, we need to be there. Every corner, when we start singing our songs. So we need the supporters in this moment because it’s really important for us.”
United must play it safe on Thursday evening
It’s fair to say that, with United holding a 3-0 lead over their Spanish opponents ahead of kick-off, they are in control of the tie, but they must look to play it safe at Old Trafford.
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Amorim has been vocal in his opinion that his side must score to secure their place in the Europa League semi-final, and it’s hard to disagree after watching United concede four goals against Olympique Lyonnais at Old Trafford in the second leg of the quarter-finals.
However, United must not take any unnecessary risks during the fixture. They must focus on making sure their formation is tight, the defensive players are cohesive, and the attacking players do their duties to shield the rest of the side.
If United can keep a tight formation and play as a team, they should be able to notch a goal or two to keep Athletic Club at arm’s length while maintaining defensive integrity and seeing themselves into the final.
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