Depleted Manchester United ‘lack quality’, says Ruben Amorim, after Wolves gain a point
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Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim looking dejected after the 1-1 draw with Premier League bottom side Wolverhampton Wanderers.
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LONDON – Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim said his side “lacked quality” to break down a Wolverhampton Wanderers team without a Premier League win all season, in the latest blow to their chances of Champions League football next season.
Wolves secured just their third point of the campaign and snapped an 11-game league losing streak as Ladislav Krejci’s header cancelled out Joshua Zirkzee’s deflected opener in a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford on Dec 30.
United were missing captain Bruno Fernandes, Mason Mount and Kobbie Mainoo through injury, while Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui are absent due to the Africa Cup of Nations.
“We have a lack of fluidity and then lack of quality and then lack of creation of chances, and then we suffer a goal from a set piece,” said Amorim.
“These details are important to win these games in difficult moments.”
United remain two points outside the top four in sixth, level on 30 points with fifth-place Chelsea, who drew 2-2 with Bournemouth. But they could have been well on course for a return to European football’s top table next season had they not failed to win four of their last five home games.
Amorim, though, remains confident his side will end the season strongly once they have their key players back fit and available.
“I think we are in one situation that you have a lot of players out in the same time,” he added.
“Of course when you play Casemiro and (Manuel) Ugarte in the middle, you know that is different to when you have Kobbie Mainoo, Mason Mount or Bruno, that is normal. We just need to recover our players, the players from Afcon to return and then the fluidity is going to be different.
“I’m really confident when we recover all the players that we are going to be a strong team, there is no doubt in my mind.”
Over at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca has said over and over again that his players need to work out how to control games – and judging from their chaotic draw with Bournemouth, they still have a lot of learning to do.
In a crazy opening 27 minutes, the Blues fell behind to the Cherries in the sixth minute to a David Brooks goal, went 2-1 up via a Cole Palmer penalty and a strike by Enzo Fernandez before Justin Kluivert pounced on woeful defending to make it 2-2.
Having squandered a lead to lose 2-1 at home to Aston Villa
Chelsea have now won only once in seven league matches, a far cry from the excitement of a 3-0 win over Barcelona in November, which has left them outside the top-four Champions League spots.
The sense of frustration was palpable among the home fans, as Maresca was also met with loud boos when he substituted local hero Palmer in the 63rd minute. The Italian did not appear at a post-match press conference due to illness, giving the task of explaining Chelsea’s performance to his deputy Willy Caballero.
“We are creating, we are scoring goals – we are opening the scoring sometimes which is good, but we need to find a way to win those points, kill those games,” the Argentinian said. AFP, REUTERS
