Ruben Amorim has accepted Gary Neville’s “robotic” criticism of his Manchester United side but insists football is changing and his team are adapting in the correct way.
Neville’s comments arrived in the aftermath of the 0-0 draw in the Manchester derby last weekend, where he slammed the micromanagement of teams like United following an uninspiring display in front of goal.
“They’re micromanaged within an inch of their lives – so robotic, that game – and quite symptomatic, actually, of a lot of games that we’re watching nowadays,” said Neville on Sky Sports.
“It’s not good enough. I feel disappointed.
“It’s a Manchester derby and it should have more blood, thunder, and risk, and courage involved in playing the game and trying to win the game than that.”
Amorim has responded to the former United defender, having already addressed the issue in his post-match press conference, where he accepted the criticism was “quite fair” after his side recorded just two shots on target at Old Trafford.
Amorim also responded to Neville’s ‘robotic’ football claims after the former player criticised both sides in the derby draw
Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “In this game, they are seeing the games and in our moment, with the season that we are doing, we have to accept it and this is quite fair.
“Sometimes at the end of the game, you don’t like it because you are trying really hard to change things and they are talking about your players.
“But then, one day later, you can understand. It’s fair and I understand what he’s saying.”
Amorim has now managed 30 games for the club since arriving from Sporting in November, but his side continue to dwell in the bottom half of the table, with the point against Manchester City only solidifying their spot in 13th within the top flight.
Neville says Amorim needs to be at the heart of Man Utd’s strategy
Despite the lack of momentum, the 39-year-old has insisted his team are progressing alongside the evolution of the game, which can no longer rely on just individual quality and the “feeling” legendary Red Devils boss Sir Alex Ferguson previously built his successes on.
“The game is completely different and you have to be so good in your base and then that individual aspect and the freedom and the fluidity of the game is going to appear. But, for that, I think we need time.
“There was an evolution, you can like it or not, but there was an evolution because you have all the games from the opponent’s detail, from your departments, so you can understand better the movements that they make.
“In that evolution, you have to be better tactically. Sometimes I talk to [Darren] Fletcher, about how he prepared the games with Sir Alex Ferguson, it’s completely different.
Manchester United’s Alejandro Garnacho reacts to a missed chance against Manchester City
“There was more a feeling, that aspect of the individual talent. I think today is not enough and you can see some of the best teams, especially if you remember the years of Galacticos, they had maybe the best players in the world, but you need to have a connection.”
‘We cannot win games like that’
Amorim continues to persevere with his preferred 3-4-3 formation, despite only winning two of their last eight games, but has also defended the decision after claiming it is important that his squad have an identity to rely on before the individual quality can shine through.
United now face Lyon in their Europa League quarter-final, as well as an away trip to Newcastle live on Sky Sports sandwiched between the two legs, which marks the most crucial test for his style of play due to their season now hinging on qualification for the Champions League by lifting the trophy for a second time.
He continued: “We cannot win the games just like I said with the individual aspect and let the players do whatever they feel. I don’t see the game like that.
“I see the game in a different way and again, nowadays, they know everything about our players. The way [Alejandro] Garnacho will use the right foot on the left side, every detail the opponent knows.
Amorim has claimed football is changing and Manchester United are evolving in the right way
“So we need to have an idea of how to play as a team and then expect the individual part to help us. Because in the end, that is the crucial point to make a difference in the game.
“Sometimes we lack that creativity in the last third, sometimes the quality. And when I talk about the quality, it’s not just the individual quality, it’s the understanding of the game in the final third.
“So I want to see both because I want to entertain people, but I also like to see my team defending like they defend in this game.”
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