Amorim, Man United’s big week opens with FA Cup Woe vs. Fulham

Manchester, England – A big week for Ruben Amorim has started with another setback.

Two cup matches over the course of five days – one against Fulham in the FA Cup -Femme round, the other against Real Sociedad in the Europa League round of 16 – offered Manchester United and their main coach hope something can still be saved from this miserable season. However, Fulham had other ideas, and after a 1-1 draw played over a tense 120 minutes shortly after any real quality, it was Marco Silva’s side who prevailed 4-3 on sanctions. Victor Lindelöf and Joshua Zirkzee Missed from the place as United – the proprietors – crashed.

The Cup output closed another door for Amorim, and now the pressure on Thursday’s trip to San Sebastian is increasing even more. The Europa League offers a trophy and a place next season Champions League. Winning it would turn this season into something that looks like a success. On the proof of their performance against Fulham – which lacked any real leading edge in the most important moments – it’s easier said than done.

“In the end, the sanctions can go both ways, and today it wasn’t our way,” Amorim said. “We know we are losing games but the goal is to win the Premier League again. I don’t know how long it will take. We have a goal and we are moving forward, no matter what.

“It’s impossible to know, but you start to understand that the players are better and we understand the league. We are seeing in the future.”

Sometimes he has to feel like he knocks his head against a wall. In his program notes prior to the game, he paid tribute to his coaching staff to “improve ourselves in how we defend set pieces in recent weeks.”

It was typical of his “one step forward, two steps back” Start to Life at Old Trafford, who at the end of one of United’s better first halves under his leadership scored Fulham from a set piece.

It looked like a bad decision to assign a corner but it doesn’t apologize the ease on which Rodrigo Muniz flicked it to Calvin Bassey To nod the home at the back post. Manual Ugartethat lost Muniz’s run, and Noussair Mazraouithat marked Bassey will not see a repetition.

It was the fifth time in a row that United admitted the first goal. In Amorim’s 24 matches, United have admitted the first goal 16 times. It is a damn state on its own, but especially when the team struggles to score itself. Sogless again in the first 45 minutes, United have failed to score from open game in 19 consecutive first halves.

Amorim’s list of problems is long. Among other things, he was able to name only seven compensation instead of the allowed nine. Of those on the bench were two young goalies.

It’s lucky for Amorim Bruno Fernandes is so durable. After a week that has seen more criticism come his way with the permission of former Captain Roy Keane, the Portuguese midfielder again showed that he is United’s most important player. He may not rank with Keane or Paul Scholes as one of the club’s biggest midfielders ever; However, he is the undisputed star of this team.

It was Fernandes who pulled United Level in the second half, ghost in to whip Diogo Dalot‘S cross into the lower corner. The technique was exquisite, but he made it look simple.

Fernandes now has six game-changing goals this season-three winners and three equalizers-and has more goals (11) and assists (12) than anyone else. He first stepped up into the penalty kick and rifled his shot into the net in front of Stretford -but he can’t do it all on his own and in the absence of 11 Brunos, both Lindelof and Zirkzee so their efforts rescued by Bernd Leno. The Fulham -Keper was excellent, making key savings from Alejandro Garnacho and Chido Obi to keep the game level.

“Incredible,” Leno said after the victory. “I think we deserved to win after 90 minutes. Of course, sanctions, it’s sometimes a lottery and fortunately we won. The target trainer told me a few information but my feeling is more important.”

Fulham has a quarterfinals against Crystal Palace to look forward to. For Amorim it is the Europa League or Bust.

The Portuguese coach has lost 10 of his 25 matches since replacing Erik Ten Hag in November. United refuse to look at the fact that he could be under pressure so early into his tenure, but there was an acceptance before the defeat of Fulham that the cup competitions are important – both in terms of expanding interest in the season and giving a way to Europe.

Last 14. In the Premier League table and now out of the FA Cup, United are back with just the Europa League. A central week in Amorim’s short reign rests on Real Sociedad.