Ruben Amorim says Internazionale is no longer occupying his thoughts as Manchester United prepare to face Ferencvarosi TC, although he remains angry about the team’s performance against Bologna.
Speaking at his pre-match press conference, Amorim praised his side’s defensive improvement in the derby victory and demanded a similar level of intensity in the next game.
“Internazionale is in the past. Tomorrow we can show that we can defend better. We did better than against Bologna,” he said.
“Our pressing on the flanks was very aggressive. Koni performed very well, but if the ball gets to Thuram, it is very difficult to defend, so we were more aggressive without the ball and tried to prevent crosses.”
Amorim acknowledged that Ferencvarosi TC are accustomed to winning and said United must be prepared for the challenge.
“We have to do the same tomorrow. They are used to winning, and there’s always a reason why a team keeps winning, so we have to be ready for tomorrow.”
The manager was also asked whether the second half against Internazionale represented the benchmark his team should now try to reproduce. He had previously described it as the best 45 minutes of the entire league season, highlighting the controlled and disciplined approach shown after the interval.
“The second half against Internazionale was the best half of the entire league season,” Amorim said. “What I saw was the attitude a strong team should have: strong, stable, no risks. Should we start again from that second half?”
He agreed that the performance offered a useful reference point, but warned against viewing the second half in isolation from what came before it.
“I think that’s a good point. But you can’t separate the second half from the first; they are connected,” he said.
“In the first half we took the lead, and then in the second half we controlled the game in that way. We understood the game better, and our lines were more cohesive.”
Amorim felt there were still areas for improvement, particularly in how his players attacked the space behind Internazionale’s midfield.
“Perhaps we lacked a few players getting behind Internazionale’s midfield line; our possession was good, but we could do better,” he said. “However, it was only one game after all.”
The Portuguese manager said concentrating solely on the derby would reflect the wrong mentality, insisting that every fixture must be treated with equal importance.
“Thinking only about the derby is the mentality of a small team: for us, every game is important,” he said.
“Tomorrow I will understand my team more clearly than I did after the derby. I’m no longer concerned about the Internazionale match. Am I happy about the win? Yes. But I’m still angry about the Bologna match. Tomorrow we must show intensity and fight for the win.”
