Cliff Notes – Ruben Amorim Man United players stronger faster than last season
- Ruben Amorim noted that his Manchester United squad is “stronger and faster” than the previous season, highlighting improved player connections both on and off the pitch.
- Despite a convincing 4-1 victory over Bournemouth, Amorim cautioned that preseason performances do not guarantee success in the upcoming Premier League season.
- An injury to Harry Maguire, attributed to fatigue from training, was the only setback for the team during their summer tour in Chicago.
Ruben Amorim Man United players stronger faster than last season
CHICAGO — Ruben Amorim said his Manchester United players are already “stronger and faster” than last season, but insisted he is not getting carried away after a second consecutive win on their summer tour.
United were comfortable 4-1 winners over Bournemouth at Soldier Field on Wednesday. It was an impressive performance from Amorim’s team, but the Portuguese coach has warned that preseason form will not count for much when the Premier League starts.
“We are improving, Amorim said. “But again, it’s a preseason game. The pressure is going to be so much different during the season.
“I think they are playing better also because they are connecting better with each other. Not just on the pitch, but off the pitch. I think they are stronger, they are faster. You can see the intensity is completely different [compared to last season].
“I can see the data from the minutes are completely different. It’s important for them to understand that the same players can play a different game.”
Ruben Amorim didn’t have a preseason with Manchester United last season. Howard Smith/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images
United were dominant against Bournemouth despite playing in torrential rain in Chicago. Rasmus Højlund, Patrick Dorgu, Amad Diallo and youngster Ethan Williams got the goals to build on the win over West Ham in New Jersey on Saturday.
The squad are set to stay in Chicago until the weekend before rounding off the Premier League Summer Series against Everton in Atlanta on Sunday.
“I think it was a good game,” Amorim said. “I think we played with intensity. We were aggressive and that is something that we need to improve on in the last season.
“I think we had better possessions compared to the last game, so they are listening. It was a good test.”
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The only downside for Amorim was an injury to Harry Maguire which forced the England defender off at half-time.
“He had an issue during the holidays, during training,” Amorim said. “They were training in the holidays. He’s a little bit late, so we have to be careful with him. It’s just a little bit of fatigue with the training.
“We are trying to control everything and saving all the players to give the exact minutes that they need.”
