Ruben Amory admits Liverpool are better than Manchester United but insists his side “can win any game”.
United have lost their last 3 Premier League games, and on Sunday they dropped to 14th in the table. They are just seven points above the relegation zone and Amorim recently admitted that the club may be “at one of its lowest moments”.
The last team they want to face at the moment is their age-old rivals, who have scored 14 goals in the match and are at the top of the table with 14 goals in their last 3 league matches.
Add in some recent defeats at the hands of the Merseysiders, including a 7-0 drubbing in 2023, and it's hard to find reason for optimism for anyone with United's charms.
Asked what gave him the belief that United could pull off a big surprise on Sunday, Amorim said: “Because in football anything can happen in one game. When talking about the season, it's almost always the case that the best team wins. They are better than us at the moment but we can win any game. We must focus on performance, not content. We have to improve the simple things.”
The best place to solve problems – the Amorim training ground
Amorim has struggled to implement his preferred 3-4-3 formation that brought him success at former club Sporting CP, but he hopes to see a more cohesive performance at the weekend given more time on the training pitch.
“We had two days of practice in a row; I think that might help us. Of course, It's a difficult moment because we've lost a lot of games and we're going to face the best team this year. We want to improve on the performance compared to the last game (2-0 defeat to Newcastle on Monday night). Can't change the past I want to change what happened.
“We could see the lack of possession in the last game in the first half; Everyone is very worried; Very excited. Crosses, Everything is very important; It's hard to say one thing, but assets, how to control the line; I understand how to play.”
A heavy defeat will increase the pressure on Amorim, who has been in the job since November.
The Portuguese is not worried about the prospect of relegation as he looks to lead United to their first win at Anfield in nine years.
“I'm just focused on performance,” he said. “I don't focus on failure or what might happen. We've had some losses and we're prepared to win this game and we know what we're up against.
“My focus is to prepare the team so that we don't have the difficult moments we saw in the first 15 minutes against Newcastle,” he said. I want to improve it.
“We know it's going to be a really tough moment for both teams. They have had a strong base for years but we will work hard to win the game this week,” he said.
Maguire to remain a Red.
United have an option to keep Harry Maguire for a further 12 months, Amorim has confirmed, admitting the squad are short on captains.
“I think that's not the only thing about our team,” he said. It's all about the team,” he said. “If you want to be the top team, the top team must be leaders.” We have them in our dressing room. But they have to step up.
“We also have a lot of young kids and this moment is really difficult. We can look at the table, but you're Manchester United.”