Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has been blamed for his side’s errors in marking from set pieces, following a 2-3 drubbing of Nottingham Forest in their Premier League clash at home on Saturday.
“When this happens, it’s my fault because I’m responsible. “We tried to do it in the best way possible, we did a lot of work in this area because we saw it in (the) Arsenal game), and it’s really difficult,” Amorim said during a press conference.
“At the start of the match (against Forest), we suffered in the first game, it’s really difficult afterwards to put energy into the team, but we managed to draw, and then in the second half it’s is the same.”
Defending set pieces quickly became one of Amorim’s main priorities, with the team conceding both goals from set pieces in United’s 0-2 defeat to Arsenal in the previous match.
In Saturday’s match, Forest needed just 90 seconds to score from a corner at Old Trafford.
United’s lack of height and power at the back was exposed from free-kicks and corners and Amorim reorganized his team in the second half, bringing on centre-back Harry Maguire at 3-2, a sign he feared concede again.
“We put Harry Maguire on because of set pieces, to better control who won all the first balls. The only way to attack Nottingham was through transitions, to try and win the first and second balls. When Harry was on the pitch, he won every first ball,” Amorim said.
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But by then, the damage was already done.
A simple screen freed Forest defender Nikola Milenkovic, who pushed past Lisandro Martinez to score.
Martinez and goalkeeper Andre Onana were then both at fault for Forest’s third goal in the 54th minute, a looping header from Chris Wood that one of them should have dealt with.
Nottingham Forest’s Wood scores his side’s third goal past Manchester United’s Andre Onana during their Premier League match at Old Trafford. | Photo credit: Getty Images
Nottingham Forest’s Wood scores his side’s third goal past Manchester United’s Andre Onana during their Premier League match at Old Trafford. | Photo credit: Getty Images
“Everyone knows the emphasis on set pieces these days, it’s huge, a big avenue for and against. We did well today,” said a delighted New Zealand forward Wood.
Amorim insisted he would stick to his principles, despite his shaky start at Old Trafford.
“It happens with a lot of clubs and we have to keep doing the same things to improve the team because it will change,” he said.
(with contributions from Reuters)
