Ruben Amorim will compensate for a lack of coaching time by asking Manchester United players unable to participate in full training to walk and jog through patterns of play as he tries to fast-track their learning.
With the packed schedule meaning recovery between matches is required, Amorim explained how he and his assistants would still coach. He secured his first United win on Thursday against Bodø/Glimt and the team host Everton on Sunday. United do not have a clear midweek in December and depending on how they fare in the Carabao Cup, FA Cup and Europa League may not have one before March’s international break, when Amorim would be without a sizeable chunk of his squad.
“I was a football player,” Amorim said. “Videos more than 12 minutes? Forget it, because of concentration … Instead of video, we do it like walking and jogging – it’s a way to do it. And showing some videos.
“Then we have all the staff. For example, Carlos [Fernandes] is with the strikers. They will [be] shown individual moments. So we will try to cope like this. Everyone has a job in the staff and they are more important than me, maybe. Try to [review] the game and what is missing [from our play]. They are very good players, they need to believe, and we will show individual stuff. Team stuff. And if you cannot run, you can jog.”
Amorim used five substitutes against Bodø/Glimt – Diogo Dalot, Casemiro, Marcus Rashford, Amad Diallo and Luke Shaw – before meeting an Everton team who have had a clear week to prepare.
“We have to use subs to manage the fitness, not the game,” the head coach said. “We already know that it will be like that, so no excuse. We should be ready for Sunday and we have to win. We will rotate players and we will be ready. It is what it is.
“We have to use the games [to become fitter]. I felt that we pressed a little bit higher [against Bodø/Glimt]. Mason Mount did 60 minutes with high intensity, [Rasmus] Højlund was dead in the end. The guys playing push more. Push the guys to the limit. And the other guys have to train. Luke Shaw did some minutes and will train now.”
Højlund scored twice to double his season tally to four and the No 9 feels comfortable in Amorim’s 3-4-3. “The new system, new ideas, are suiting my style of play. I’ve played this sort of football – I don’t say it is the same, but a 3-4-3. I used to play in Atalanta a little bit the same.”
Højlund played for the Italian club in 2022-23, scoring 10 goals in 34 appearances. The Dane was asked what is different for him between Amorim’s system and that employed by Erik ten Hag.
“The press is very different,” the 21-year-old said. “I have to focus a little bit more on what’s in front of me instead of behind. I showed last season with being the top scorer for the team that I can score goals. I’m still very young but obviously I would like to take the responsibility and that’s why I took the No 9 this year because I want to take the next level and the next step. But I still have a lot to grow – I’m still not the finished article.”
Højlund’s goal celebration featured a thumbs-up and thumb-down. “It’s the Gladiator one. We watched it when we were with the national team. And I thought it was a nice celebration.”
