Boss points to mental fragility after squandered lead and penalty miss overshadow hard work.
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim issued a stark assessment of his team’s mentality, stating they must “grow up a lot as a team” after letting a lead slip in a 1-1 draw with Fulham at Craven Cottage on Sunday.
The visitors seemed to be on course for their first win of the season when Fulham’s Rodrigo Muniz turned the ball into his own net just before the hour mark. However, the lead was short-lived. Instead of pushing on, United retreated, allowing Emile Smith Rowe to charge into the box and level the scores from an Alex Iwobi cross just minutes later.
Amorim pinpointed the moment his team scored as the very moment they lost their way. “We forgot about how we play,” he conceded to BBC Radio 5 Live. “Everyone on the pitch was thinking, ‘Let’s hold onto the advantage.’ For me, that is the moment that we have to enjoy more and push the opponent.”
The match was packed with controversy, much of which went against the hosts. The most significant incident saw United awarded a first-half penalty when Calvin Bassey was adjudged to have fouled Mason Mount. Captain Bruno Fernandes stepped up but sent his spot-kick soaring high over the crossbar.
Amorim noted the psychological toll the miss took on his skipper, observing a “lack of joy” and a player “thinking in the past.” He suggested the path to maturity is through experience. “You need to win to have the feeling to relax a little bit… not in the intensity, but maintaining our mind,” he explained.
The penalty incident took another strange turn when Fernandes revealed his pre-kick routine was disrupted after he bumped into referee Chris Kavanagh on his walk back to the spot.
“I was upset,” Fernandes told Sky Sports. “The referee didn’t apologise. That is what triggered me in that moment, but that’s not the excuse for missing the penalty. I had a very bad hit on the ball.”
The result leaves Manchester United with just a single point from their first two matches, raising early questions about their resilience and composure under their new manager. The international break now offers a moment for reflection before the quest for that elusive first win continues.
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