Can Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim really ride this out? – Premier League hits and misses | Football News

Can Amorim really ride this out?

The pre-match scenes celebrating the life of Denis Law, the king of Stretford End, were truly moving. When it comes to the past, there is no more famous club in England. Comparison with what followed remains a concern.

Manchester United is a bad football team. The table tells you so much. Watching them play makes it obvious. But the big news from Old Trafford on Sunday is that Ruben Amorim agrees, describing this current squad as possibly the worst in the club's history.

It became the theme of his brief reign so far, deflecting criticism with honesty, bluntness and darkness. He was talking about relegation. At the same press conference after the match, he talked about being a coach who loses more than the previous one. And the last one was fired.

There are no plans to deviate from the course. Amorim admitted he didn't even play two strikers when chasing the game against Brighton because he was more concerned with sending the message to his players that the style of play never changes, no matter what.

He hopes that will help the idea go through faster, but bereft of confidence after a fourth home defeat in five, there is a possibility that these results kill faith in his plan rather than boost it. Fix all this in the summer? Right now, that seems far away.
Adam Bate

Baleba and Ayari inspire Brighton's victory

“We've learned, to win a game of football, it doesn't have to be a nice game to win,” Lewis Dunk said after Brighton beat Manchester United once again.

Ruben Amorim's United were miserable but Brighton earned their win. In the center were young midfielders Yasin Ayari and Carlos Baleba.

Ayari was almost sold by Brighton in the summer, Baleba was error-prone in his first season with the Seagulls last term. But both players are now among the first names on the list – their trip to Old Trafford proved that.

Baleba played a crucial ball over the top to unlock the game for the first goal, Ayari's running and desire were key in goals two and three.

“Our young players are mature and know what they have to do to win a game,” Fabian Hurzeler said at full-time. It may not be long until Baleba and Ayari hit the big money strip in Brighton.
Blitz himself

Spurs have reached a new low, but Ange needs to find solutions, not excuses

Tottenham's injury list is long and is clearly a major obstacle for them this season. But midfielder James Maddison was right to label their first-half performance at Everton as “unacceptable”.

Spurs fans might feel the same way about Arsenal's first-half performance. Or the first 90 minutes of the cup game with Tamworth. If nothing else, victory over Liverpool in the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final is proof that Spurs still have enough talent in the group to play far better than they did last week.

It falls on the players and it falls on the manager. Ange Postecoglou admitted he got the back-three setup wrong at Everton but could still expect more from his front line of captain Heung-min Son, Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski – players who have received much praise in the past.

It's not as if Spurs' problems are confined to this period of absence. In the last 50 games in the Premier League, they lost 24 times. Not good enough for Spurs. Daniel Levy, who frowns at Goodison, will feel it too.

On paper, this was a win for Tottenham. Their next four fall into that category ahead of the all-important Carabao Cup trip to Liverpool. There can be no excuses if Spurs slip deeper into the mire.
Peter Smith

Moyes rejuvenates Calvert-Lewin as 'everything is coming together for Everton'

It didn't take long for returning Everton manager David Moyes to rejuvenate Dominic Calvert-Lewin, judging by his man-of-the-match strike in Sunday's 3-2 win over Tottenham.

Heading into the clash, questions were rightly raised over the England international's future at Goodison Park after a barren run in front of goal spanning 16 Premier League games until September, when he found the net against Aston Villa.

Everton had their own problems in attack as a team, their 15 goals before kick-off making them the lowest scorers in the division, but right from the start the hosts attacked their opponents.

So much so that the Toffees were 3-0 up at half-time, the first time this had happened in a Premier League game at Goodison Park since February 2017, under Ronald Koeman.

“It was a tough stretch for me, so I'm really delighted with how we went today,” Calvert-Lewin said Sky Sports after the game. “I think just for us, the boys, the team and the club, we need a win and I'm glad I played my part.

I think everything went well today, you go through those periods sometimes when you don't hit the back of the net or rub the green, but I think everything came together for us today.

And Moyes will now be hoping that Calvert-Lewin – and Everton – can build on that impressive display between now and the end of the season as the Toffees look to pull themselves out of the relegation zone. Rich Morgan

'Phil Foden is on fire'

You'd be forgiven for wondering what all the fuss about Phil Foden was about if you only started watching football in the summer. A bad European Championship when many expected to tear it apart somehow did not hinder England in the final. And since returning this season, he has looked tired, failing to score in his first 11 Premier League appearances.

But, as with many England players who left deep into the summer, his form has picked up in recent weeks. The same can be said for Declan Rice and Jude Bellingham.

Now there's a smile on Foden's face as City's attacking players get to the boil and once again create chances from all angles. That's now six goals in six games for last year's PFA Player of the Year. He reminds us all of his talents and it's no coincidence that City are moving up the table as a result.
Lewis Jones

Forest are showing both sides of their Champions League credentials

How quickly football games can change.

To score three goals from an expected goal value of just 0.28 xG, to keep the narrowest of margins in added time.

Nuna Espirito Santo's side showed both sides of their game today – and that's why they are now level on points with second-placed Arsenal.

Their attacking play speaks for itself, as evidenced by a strong finish to the first half, but they secured all three points thanks to a stoic defensive performance in the later stages of the game.

With the pressure mounting and Southampton looking dangerous with every attack, the team pulled together and dragged themselves over the line.

Forest are the real thing and they owe a lot to their commitment in the defensive end.
Patrick Rowe

Saints should play 90 minutes

As they did against Manchester United, Southampton showed enough promise and threat in stoppage time to come away with a result today.

If they had played with the same intention for the entire 90 minutes, they would not have left empty-handed – as the head coach Ivan Jurić correctly pointed out.

However, like relegation rivals Leicester, Saints fail to produce positive results throughout the game, and in the end that could be their downfall.

Juric will learn more about his team as time goes on, but one thing is clear – they looked menacing with target Paul Onuachu, who scored his first Premier League goal today, leading the line.

“He has this quality,” Juric said. “He is a fighter and very good with his head. He will be very good for us and very happy for him.”
Patrick Rowe