Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim demands focus on the Athletic Club game, instead of stressing over the Premier League disaster. Brentford beat United 4-3 in the Premier League clash, continuing the Red Devils’ disastrous form in the league this season.
United registered their 16th Premier League loss from 35 games so far, currently fallen into 15th position in the table. The Red Devils sacked Erik ten Hag during the middle of the season and appointed Amorim to improve their fortunes.
However, the team that Amorim inherited has failed to adjust to his new tactical demands, delaying the process of rejuvenation. Under Amorim, the Red Devils have continued to lose many Premier League games but have displayed impressive Europa League performances.
Speaking at the post-match press conference (via manutd.com), Amorim demanded focus from United on the game against Athletic despite their Premier League losses. He said:
“I think it’s stressful to lose games. When we’re fighting for a title it’s not stressful. I have no doubts that we are playing better and we are understanding the way we play, even in this context. So we have to take all the hits in this moments. We are losing games in the Premier League, but we are fighting for the Europa League so we need to accept that and to think about now Thursday which is the most important game for us.”
A potential Europa League victory is not just a way to end the season strongly with a trophy, but also a path to next season’s Champions League competition for United. Athletic are currently fourth in the La Liga table, after enjoying a strong season under Ernesto Valverde.
Nevertheless, United have already put themselves in a strong position against them after beating them 3-0 in the first leg. The second leg of the Europa League semifinal will take place at Old Trafford on the 8th of May.
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Despite the three-goal lead, United need to make sure that Athletic have no chances of building a comeback story. The potential victory in the semifinal tie would mean that United will face one of Bodo/Glimt or Tottenham Hotspur in the finals. The Red Devils’ Premier League rivals, Spurs, are also 3-1 ahead in their tie, having a similar Premier League season. Tottenham are 16th in the Premier League table and are fully focused on the Europa League, like United.