There was a time when a nil-nil home draw in the Manchester derby wouldn’t have been cause for celebration, but times certainly have changed and Ruben Amorim will likely love his team’s performance on Sunday.
Old Trafford saw a tight, physical 0-0 draw between Manchester United and visiting Manchester City, and the Red Devils frustrated their visitors with fouls and counter-attacking intent.
MORE — Man Utd 0-0 Man City recap | Manchester derby player ratings
United showed intent in the first minute, winning a dangerous free kick, and wouldn’t have been surprised if the score line swung in their favor.
The attacking edge was still substandard but the Red Devils are more comfortable in Amorim’s system. The Portuguese boss may even crack a few smiles after this one.
Ruben Amorim reaction — How did Manchester United boss react to Manchester derby draw?
“We had some chances to win the game,” Amorim said. “We tried to use pace in transitions, defending a bit more in the low block, but we had our chances. We pushed City, but if you look at the game you can accept the draw.”
On how the game played out: “We had more space and that is something normal when you prepare to do that. We were closer to a goal. They had more possession but that is normal. ... Sometimes Ederson did quite well because we had some moments where they used a good pass in the overlap, things we didn’t do against Nottingham. If you look at the team we have so much to improve in every aspect of the game.”
Where specifically does Man United need to improve? “Everywhere. We need to improve in build-up, transition, decision clearly in the final third. ... Every player can improve and they are here because they showed something in other clubs. We have to spend more time near the final third to have more opportunities.”
Are you seeing progress? “I can see it. I can see the connections are a little bit better. The players are more comfortable to their positions. We can find players between the lines. But as I said in the beginning, we have a lot to improve.”
Can this team improve quickly? “I’m not naive. I’m not crazy. I can see the moment that we are in, see the opponents, and that there’s a big gap. But as a leader I won’t say we are going to take a long time. You want to push our players. You have to feel that urgency because you don’t have a lot of time in a club like ours. We are in a rush, that’s clear.”
Derby lacked cutting edge? “If you look at the moment of both teams, not fighting for titles — that changes completely the game. The feeling of winning of having to win every game, not to lose one point, it is not there. If we are fighting for big things, the feeling will be completely different. Both teams have a lot of doubts in some moments. I think you need to be fighting for the big things [to create more atmosphere].”
