Amorim calls for more control one year into Man Utd tenure
Manchester United must learn how to assert more control on matches, so says Ruben Amorim, who is coming up to a year since his first game.
Ruben Amorim believes Manchester United have come on leaps and bounds across his year in charge, but still wants much more control from his team.
Amorim brings up a year since his first game in charge on Monday, and will hope to mark it with a win over Everton at Old Trafford.
United have won 12 of Amorim's 38 Premier League matches in charge. Only three of the competition's ever-present teams in that span have claimed fewer victories, with the Red Devils losing 17 times. They have conceded 60 goals, the joint-fifth worst total (including the teams that have been relegated and promoted in that time).
While Amorim does feel United have improved, he knows there is still a long way to go.
"We are showing [improvement] but the important thing is it doesn't matter what we did in the recent games," Amorim said.
"We cannot forget that we started to suffer a lot last year, we have to take that into account and play every game like the last one or the first one.
"[We are] more dominant, playing better football and more competitive in every way.
"Of course, I expect a team with more control, more dominant, playing better football and, the most important thing, we are more competitive in every way."
United are unbeaten in their last five league matches, though they have drawn their last two.
Everton, meanwhile, returned to winning ways last time out by beating Fulham 2-0 at home.
David Moyes spent an ill-fated, short spell at United in 2013-14, and was dismissed in March of that season.
However, the Everton boss is glad Amorim has been given time to settle in.
"When you're at the big clubs, you have to win, have to win with style and all the things that go with it," he said.
"I lost my job when we couldn't qualify for the Champions League at United. It's maybe a different level [now], but that can change at clubs.
"You've got to do your business well, manage the club well, have good ownership. I'm always supporting managers getting time to do their job, because history tells you if given time, managers tend to do better. I always hope managers are given the time to see if they can make it work."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Manchester United - Bryan Mbeumo
Mbeumo has been involved in more Premier League goals than any other United player this season (six – five goals, one assist).
However, Everton are the only side the Cameroonian has faced more than twice in the competition without registering a single goal or assist (eight games).
Everton - Jack Grealish
Grealish provided four assists from five chances created in his first three Premier League appearances for Everton this season, earning him the August Player of the Month prize.
Since then, he has created 19 chances in seven games, but none of them have been converted. Grealish ranks second in the Premier League for expected assists (2.48).
MATCH PREDICTION: MANCHESTER UNITED WIN
United have won 42 Premier League games against Everton, the most wins any side has against another in the competition. That includes a 4-0 win in the corresponding fixture last term.
Everton have won just one of their last 12 Premier League games against United (D5 L6); a 1-0 home win in April 2022. They have won just one of their last 32 against them at Old Trafford (D8 L23), 1-0 in December 2013.
United have won their last four Premier League home games, more than they had in their previous 13 at Old Trafford (W3 D2 L8). They last had a longer run between April and August 2023 (eight).
The Red Devils have opened the scoring, gone behind, but gone on to avoid defeat in their last two Premier League matches, drawing 2-2 with both Nottingham Forest and Tottenham.
They are the first team to do so in consecutive games since Manchester City in May and August 2012 (3-2 wins v QPR and Southampton), while no side has ever done so three times in a row.
No side have scored more first-half goals than United in the Premier League this season (11), while only Arsenal and Crystal Palace (four each) have shipped fewer before half-time (four). However, the Red Devils have conceded more goals in the second half than any other side this term (14).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Manchester United – 50.9%
Draw – 24.9%
Everton – 24.2%













