Ruben Amorim, the Manchester United manager, defended his decision to make significant changes to the team, which resulted in the club’s youngest ever Premier League lineup during Sunday’s 4-3 defeat to Brentford. He emphasised that the club’s primary focus is on their Europa League campaign.
With this loss marking a record 16th Premier League defeat for United, the side featured an average age of just 22, leaving them in 15th place. Meanwhile, Brentford’s victory propelled them up to ninth and bolstered their European aspirations.
Having already secured that they cannot finish in the top half of the standings, Amorim explained that he rested key players ahead of Thursday’s Europa League semi-final second leg, where they hold a 3-0 advantage over Athletic Bilbao.
“As a club, we have a significant responsibility at this moment. We need to prepare a squad for various competitions,” Amorim stated in his post-match remarks.
“I’m confident that we are improving our performance. We’re shouldering the criticism. Currently, we’re facing losses in the Premier League, but our focus is on the Europa League, and Thursday’s match is crucial for us.
“It benefits the players that everyone gets the chance to play… While it’s challenging, we are striving to perform to the best of our ability.”
United has fully committed to their Europa League pursuit, as winning the tournament represents their sole avenue for qualification to the Champions League.
However, Amorim confessed that his squad is not yet equipped to compete effectively next season.
“We are not at a stage where we can compete in the Premier League and the Champions League simultaneously, but we need to secure victories and win this competition to provide something for our supporters,” he explained.
“After that, we’ll have the time to prepare the team for handling both competitions.”
Addressing concerns, Amorim noted that Matthijs de Ligt had to be substituted due to injury, and he also replaced Luke Shaw at half-time to “ensure the wellbeing of players for Thursday’s match.”
Midfielder Mason Mount, who netted his first goal of the season, remarked that clinching the Europa League title is the “most vital objective” as the season approaches its conclusion.
“The struggles we’ve faced in the Premier League this season are something we’ll need to analyse thoroughly,” he commented.
“However, if we can reach the final and secure a victory, it would be a positive way to finish the season.”
Compiled by SportArena.com.au.
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