For the first time, Fletcher addressed Amorim’s criticisms of United’s academy.
Aside from the fact he did not start any academy-produced player in a Premier League game this season, Amorim did not show any sign he had faith in the players it had produced.
In addition, he angered United officials by singling out Harry Amass – whose loan spell at Sheffield Wednesday has now come to an end – and striker Chido Obi for criticism.
Amorim also said he detected a sense of entitlement among United’s young players.
As someone who was himself developed by the club, has previously held the position of technical director and up to this week has been responsible for their under-18s players, Fletcher brought Kobbie Mainoo and Shea Lacey on at Turf Moor.
On only his second senior appearance, 18-year-old Lacey nearly won the game with a curling effort from 20 yards that came back off the crossbar.
“Historically, this club is built around the academy,” said Fletcher. “Our record speaks for itself.
“We’ve got some amazing talent and what I see is a lot of hardworking, humble young players, honest and coachable, who aren’t perfect because they’re young and they’re learning.
“We ask too much of young people in society at times. We have to let them learn – educate them, help them and understand they will make mistakes.
“With good guidance, all of us play a part in developing them to be Manchester United players. Hopefully they can showcase themselves like Shea did.”
Michael Carrick and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer have emerged as the frontrunners to become Manchester United’s caretaker manager until the end of the season.
The former players, who have both previously managed United, are set for face-to-face talks with the club’s leadership.
It is not out of the question the pair could also work together because Carrick was a significant part of Solskjaer’s coaching team when he replaced Jose Mourinho at Old Trafford in 2018.
Darren Fletcher, United’s current Under-18s coach, who has also been spoken to about the job, will continue as interim manager until a caretaker is appointed. The former midfielder takes charge of his first match on Wednesday, when United visit Burnley (20:15 GMT) in the Premier League.
Ruud van Nistelrooy, the ex-United striker, is also believed to be a contender.
United plan on naming a permanent successor for Amorim in the summer.
One player has told BBC Sport they felt it was possible the role could be shared by more than one of the contenders, or that Fletcher could even stay in the job until the end of the season if the next two matches are positive.
Solskjaer initially took charge in a similar fashion when United sacked Mourinho in 2018, and he subsequently became the full-time manager for three years before he was sacked in November 2021.
Carrick then had a three-game stint as temporary boss after Solskjaer’s dismissal before he left the club in December 2021.
The former England midfielder has been out of work since he was sacked by Championship club Middlesbrough last June after after two-and-a-half years in charge.
Solskjaer was sacked by Turkish club Besiktas in August.
Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner and former Brighton boss Roberto de Zerbi – now at Marseille – are understood to be early contenders for the full-time job.
Glasner, who won the FA Cup with the Eagles last season, was asked about the link during his news conference on Tuesday.
He said: “I am Crystal Palace manager and it makes no sense for you to ask me any more questions about it.”
Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid are among the European clubs to have shown an interest in signing Guehi on a free transfer, and he can sign a pre-contract agreement with an overseas club from this month.
“If you’re just valuing sports, everyone in the club will say Marc has to stay,” Glasner added. “The chairman will tell you the same. But it’s not one-dimensional. If you see the financial situation, it’s very important.
“If somebody comes, there will be a moment when the club says ‘now the financial issue is more important than the sports issue’.
“There will be a threshold where the club has to say it will happen – as long as Marc says ‘I want to leave’, because the final decision is always with the player.”
Guehi helped Palace finish 12th last season and win the FA Cup to qualify for Europe for the first time in the club’s history.
The Eagles then won the Community Shield in August, beating Premier League champions Liverpool on penalties, and are 14th in the table and through to the knockout phase play-offs in the Uefa Conference League.
“The chairman rejected many offers in the summer because we want to play a successful season and wanted to win the Community Shield,” Glasner added. “Therefore, Marc is important, and then he rejected the offer.
“The threshold at that time, the money we got offered was not above it. Maybe it was close, but it was not above.”
US rapper Ashnikko sells out Manchester and London gigs as she counts down to her highly anticipated Smoochies tour in the UK and Ireland.
The musician will be headlining six dates from February 11th to 20th and she’ll be descending upon Glasgow and Dublin as well as Manchester and London.
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American rapper Ashnikko is coming to the UK as part of her Smoochies tourCredit: Roddy ScottThe highly anticipated tour will see Ashnikko performing in the UK and IrelandCredit: instagram
She’s kicking off the UK leg of her tour in Glasgow at the 02 Academy before heading to Manchester for two dates at the Manchester Academy.
Ashnikko will follow this up with Dublin at 3Olympia before finishing up with two nights at London’s Brixton Academy.
Her fans have been excitedly awaiting her return to the UK and a result, many of the dates have already sold out.
She announced the tour dates back in August as well as the dates that the pre sale and general sale tickets were going to be available.
After giving Blighty a visit for her six tour dates, Ashnikko will be heading back to her native US for shows in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and many, many more.
The musician will conclude her tour in September, with shows in New Zealand and Australia.
She began her career in 2016 but gained huge popularity in 2019, when her single Stupid featuring Baby Tate went viral on TikTok.
As a result, the song was declared certified platinum in both the United States and Canada.
Her debut mixtape, Demidevil was released in January 2021, with singles released including Daisy and Slumber Party.
Her debut studio album, Weedkiller, released in 2023, followed by Smoochies which came out in October last year.
Speaking about her sophomore album, she expressed: ““Smoochies feels like Demidevil’s older sister.
“It’s sexy, playful, and feminine, while toeing the line of grotesque and absurd. I feel like purse sediment so much of the time – like a mess of crumbs and gum in receipts and lipgloss that I’ve forgotten about – so the album feels like that too.
“This is the first where I’ve written very autobiographically, but at the core of it all is personal autonomy and joyful whimsy.”
The Smoochies album released in October last yearCredit: instagram
Amorim has earned a reputation for his explosive news conferences since joining United in November 2024.
In January 2025, he described his team as “maybe the worst” in the 147-year history of the club.
“One of his best traits and most likeable things about him has always been his ability to be quite punchy in his press conferences,” former United centre-back Rio Ferdinand said on his podcast.
“He was upbeat, and he had quite a jovial way about him.”
The Portuguese manager’s comments last month on striker Chido Obi and left-back Harry Amass, both 18, also raised questions over his commitment to the club’s academy.
Trying to emphasise he is not scared to play young players, he criticised the performance levels of Obi and Amass, who is on loan at Sheffield Wednesday.
“Amass was doing really well and got player of the month, while you had Chido scoring goals in the under-21s,” said former United defender Phil Jones on BBC Radio 5 Live’s The Monday Night Club.
“The academy is a massive part and will always be a massive part of the DNA of the club and I don’t think that helped him in any way.”
Carragher, who believes Amorim would be “bottom of the list” of managers to have succeeded Sir Alex Ferguson at the club since 2013, added: “Best part of Amorim was his performances in the press conferences – not the performances of his teams.
“At times, it felt like he was as good a pundit as Gary Neville when talking about United. But the problem was that he was the manager.”
“I don’t think it’s been just sound bites from Amorim,” Neville said.
“I think he’s meant every single word that he said. I think that he’s a real, genuine, honest guy. I don’t think he’s someone who’s playing the game. He was absolutely all in every time he did anything.
“But if the performances are that poor and the results are so poor, it doesn’t matter how likeable or honest you are. You’re going to get sacked at a club like United.”
Twenty-two people died and hundreds were injured when Salman Abedi detonated a homemade device at the end of an Ariana Grande concert in Manchester on 22 May 2017
Families bereaved by the Manchester Arena bombing say MI5 failed them and must be fully included in a new law designed to stop cover-ups in public life.
In a letter to Sir Keir Starmer, seen by the BBC, they ask the prime minister: “How many times must MI5 show that it cannot be trusted before something is done?”
MI5 was found by a public inquiry not to have given an “accurate picture” of the key intelligence it held on the suicide bomber who carried out the attack which killed 22 people and injured hundreds on 22 May 2017.
The “Hillsborough Law”, making its way through Parliament, follows campaigning by families affected by the 1989 Hillsborough disaster that claimed 97 lives.
The new law will force public officials to tell the truth during investigations, including those into major disasters.
But a director of the campaign behind the new law told the BBC he has been “misled” by the government during negotiations over how it will apply to the intelligence services.
The government said: “We are listening to feedback about how to strengthen [the law] whilst also protecting national security.”
Known as the Public Office (Accountability) Bill, the new law has three pillars:
The first establishes a general duty of candour on all public officials, meaning they will be required to tell the truth proactively in their working life
The second is an ancillary duty of candour that applies to official investigations, which includes inquiries and inquests
The third is set to re-balance funding for legal representation for state bodies and victims during inquiries
The bill would create criminal sanctions for breaches in the duty for candour.
Labour’s manifesto for the 2024 general election said: “Labour will introduce a ‘Hillsborough Law’ which will place a legal duty of candour on public servants and authorities”.
Speaking last year, Sir Keir said the new legislation would change “the balance of power in Britain” to ensure the state could “never hide from the people it is supposed to serve”.
But barrister Pete Weatherby KC, director of Hillsborough Law Now (HLN) campaign group, told the BBC the government had “misled” him during negotiations over how the law will apply to MI5, MI6 and GCHQ.
He represented victims’ families during the landmark Hillsborough inquests a decade ago and has played a central role in making the new law a reality.
He also represented families bereaved by the Manchester Arena attack during the public inquiry into that atrocity, during which MI5 was criticised for giving a false account.
Weatherby said the “government have tried to put forward measures relating to intelligence services which look better than they are, and we’ve ended up in a position which certainly wasn’t the position that we negotiated with them”.
He said it was a “major problem” and “very disappointing”.
He said HLN accepts there are some caveats that will apply to MI5 and the intelligence services, as the prime minister himself has said.
During the Manchester Arena public inquiry, and an earlier official review, MI5 provided a false narrative about intelligence it received about the suicide bomber before the attack.
The public inquiry chairman concluded that the statements had not presented an “accurate picture”. He also found MI5 missed a significant opportunity to take action that might have prevented the attack.
Handout
The families of (clockwise from top left) Liam Curry, Chloe Rutherford, Megan Hurley, Eilidh MacLeod and Kelly Brewster have written a letter to the prime minister
The families of five people killed in the Manchester Arena attack in 2017 have written to the prime minister, calling on him to ensure the new law will apply in the fullest way to MI5 and the other services.
The authors of the letter are the families of Liam Curry, 19, Chloe Rutherford, 17, both from South Shields, Megan Hurley, 15, from Liverpool, Eilidh MacLeod, 14, from the Isle of Barra, and Kelly Brewster, 32, from Sheffield.
In the letter, the bereaved families say: “You made a personal promise that you would bring in the law.
“We’re now asking you to keep that promise in full by ensuring the new law applies to the security and intelligence agencies in the same way it applies to everyone else.”
The letter adds: “MI5 failed our loved ones and failed us.
“It did so by failing to prevent the Arena bombing. But it then failed and hurt us further through its lack of candour after the attack.
“During the Manchester Arena inquiry, MI5 lied about the key intelligence it held about the suicide bomber before the attack.
“Despite MI5 lying to a public inquiry in this way, no one has been held to account.
“This lack of accountability needs to change. Creating a full duty of candour responsibility on MI5, MI6 and GCHQ is the clearest route to creating this change.
“We are dismayed that, as the draft bill is currently written, MI5 and the other organisations are being allowed to escape the full duty of candour responsibility.
“Every security and intelligence officer should be required the tell the truth, and the leaders of the organisations should also bear full responsibility.
“How many times must MI5 show that it cannot be trusted before something is done?
“We are calling on you to keep your promise and ensure that MI5, MI6 and GCHQ are held to the same standards as everyone else.”
Claire Booth, a sister of Kelly Brewster, survived the bombing and her daughter was severely injured. She told the BBC that MI5’s conduct after the attack was “infuriating” and made her feel like “we were collateral damage”.
She added: “It was just one of them things as far as MI5 were concerned.
“They didn’t stop it [the attack], but the fact that they’ve then not been truthful about what their involvements were, what they knew… it all just adds insult to injury. It’s not fair.”
In response, a government spokesperson said: “The Hillsborough Law will once and for all end the culture of cover-ups and hiding the truth, ensuring transparency, accountability, and support for people affected.
“The law will apply to all public authorities including the intelligence agencies.
“The Bill creating the Hillsborough Law is currently going through Parliament and we are listening to feedback about how to strengthen it whilst also protecting national security.”
Weatherby said the key problem is a provision which would have the effect of “disapplying” the ancillary duty of candour to individual security and intelligence officers.
He said that, in the context of Manchester Arena case, this is crucial, adding that if the duty falls on the organisation only, nothing will change.
If it falls on the individual officers as well, they will risk criminal liability and sanction if they sit on their hands whilst the corporate body lies to inquiries and courts.
Last year MI5 was forced to apologise after it gave false evidence to three courts in a neo-Nazi spy and is currently under investigation by its regulator.
In December, MI5 apologised after it was heavily criticised by a major police investigation into the IRA spy known as Stakeknife. MI5 had disclosed documents years late and provided misleading evidence about its knowledge of the spy.
Booth said that the intelligence services “should have the same duty as everybody else to be open and honest.
“And I think if it’s not applied to them, we’re never going to get to the bottom of when things like terrorist attacks or the Hillsborough disaster”.
Guardiola – who takes his side to Sunderland on New Year’s Day – held several talks with his squad during the Club World Cup in America in the summer and believes the breakthrough came there.
He said: “When we went out to Al Hilal, it wasn’t the fact we didn’t win but that we were so good there. It was then holidays so I said: “OK, go on holidays” but I was annoyed because we were good there, good with the guys training, good with the competition.
“The place we were in, Boca Raton in front of the beach, everyone was happy. We made a lot of dinners, a lot of talks, [about] what we have to do next season. What we have to do. We wanted to extend it, just to live that.
“After talking with Pep [Lijnders] and James [French], Manel [Estiarte], Hugo [Viana], Txiki [Begiristain], we turned around and said something changed. Something [you can feel].
“Energy, energy, energy. We lost it last season. We started to train better, compete better.
“It doesn’t mean you are going to win but that you are able to recognise the team. Now it is eight victories in a row. It is not easy but compete in a way we do. We have to improve, absolutely, but this mindset is better.”
Located in southern Russia, Dagestan has a mystical status among fight fans after producing a slew of UFC champions in recent years.
The region has a long tradition in wrestling, thriving in the sambo style and producing a host of Olympic and world champions in the discipline.
Such success is no coincidence, though, as children from the region are often encouraged to take up combat sports, specifically wrestling, almost as soon as they are able to stand on two feet.
“When I was a kid, my dad was always telling me and my little brothers that we had to be strong, firstly to protect yourself, your family, and your friends,” says Ibragim.
“So we all got used to fighting, and that’s why everyone knows how to fight in Dagestan. It’s not a surprise.
“Amir was a very good wrestler. You can see the transition from wrestling to football; obviously, it helped my little brothers a lot.
“Some of the footballers he comes up against don’t have the same base he has. That’s why he’s stocky, strong and really competitive – because of wrestling.”
Amir was just nine years old when he was being put through his paces at Sheffield United. Unaware of his age, coaches grouped him with boys five years older.
He was unfazed by the oversight and was more than comfortable holding his own against older players because of his experience in wrestling.
“They thought Amir and I were the same age, apparently,” says Ibragim.
Amir was signed up, along with Ibragim’s little brothers Gazik and Muhammad.
The family’s stay in South Yorkshire was short, however, as just weeks after signing for the Blades, Manchester United became aware of Amir’s talent and he moved across the Pennines as a result.
“They played Manchester United in a tournament and Amir scored a brilliant free-kick,” says Ibragim.
“One of their scouts saw him play and picked him straight away.”
Six years after joining the Old Trafford club and at the age of 15, , Amir became one of the youngest players in the club’s history to train with the first team when he did so in April 2023.
“Do you know what he said to me? ‘This is where I belong’,” Ibragim says.
“Can he be a first-team player for Manchester United? 100%. They need to let all the young players play right now.
“I don’t think they would play worse than the first-team players. I think the young guys are hungrier than the current first-team players.”
Since then, Gazik and Muhammad, the latter once on the books of Manchester City, have also made the move to Manchester United.
“Gazik, this kid is talented,” adds Ibragim.
“He picked up everything quicker than everyone else. He’s a good defender. He’s going to be like a new Rio Ferdinand for Man United.”
From a financial perspective, well-placed sources insist interested clubs are all willing to pay a very similar remuneration package to Semenyo, whose final decision will be made with an emphasis on his personal sporting ambitions.
He turns 26 on 7 January and there is a recognition he is entering the prime of his career.
“I know there is lots of noise around him,” said Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola. “[It is] not my concern, my concern is it doesn’t affect his performances. It is not doing, he is very committed to the team and I hope we can keep him here.
“[A] situation we cannot control, but Antoine right now is our player, going to continue playing for us. If you ask me, I don’t want to lose him, definitely don’t. But every time the market opens, you never know what is going to happen.”
With that in mind, it is understood Semenyo will prioritise a club he believes can provide him with what he views as the most suitable project to compete for major trophies on a long-term basis.
The location and impact on his family will also be a contributing factor to his decision and it is understood he does not want the saga to become a long drawn-out process.
Since Amorim’s arrival, he has attempted to get United playing his specific system, rarely straying away from his philosophy.
By taking a system-first approach, Amorim looks for specific qualities from his players in each position, asking them to adapt to what he wants, rather than altering his system to fit the players at his disposal.
Looking at his system and what he wants from his midfielders may help explain how he navigates the next few months.
Amorim opts for a 3-2-4-1 shape that does not rely on having the majority of the ball.
At the start of his tenure, Amorim looked to build-up short, but to his credit has opted to play long from the keeper more often – which suits the players he has. This requires players able to cover distance and win second balls.
His side are asked to carry out passing routines too with patterns of play often ending in United’s midfielders playing through-balls over the top for attackers running in behind.
The midfield duo therefore need to be able to carry out these instructions.
Amorim’s preferred midfield duo of Casemiro and Fernandes provides clues to what he asks from his midfielders.
Casemiro’s role is more positionally strict – screening the defence, breaking up play and getting up and down the pitch to close the distance between defence and attack when the ball is played long.
Fernandes is given licence to contribute in attack but, like Casemiro, has the ability to run hard up and down the pitch, getting back to defend when needed.
Both players have a tendency to play direct passes into attackers running in behind whilst taking few touches in midfield – qualities that fit Amorim’s tactical plan.
The other midfield options must therefore fit into either Casemiro or Fernandes’ roles, with Ugarte being the most likely back-up to Casemiro while Mount, Martinez and Mainoo possess some of the quality to do Fernandes’ job.
Given the constraints around the Africa Cup of Nations and United’s injuries, the other option is for Amorim to tweak his system.
This is not something he has done yet at Old Trafford, but – when asked about a shortage of wing-backs – he hinted he could, depending “on the way we play in that particular week, if we have to change for a back four, we change for a back four”.
The shortage of midfielders could force his hand in the same way.
If United are to move to four at the back, with three in midfield, the obvious player to benefit would be Mainoo.
The England man has struggled to displace either Casemiro or Fernandes given the specific tactical demands Amorim asks for in this system. And the United boss believes Mainoo’s strengths and weaknesses are more suited to a midfield three.
“The problem is that we are playing with two [midfielders] and you guys see Kobbie in a different way to what I am seeing,” he said.
“Maybe if you play with three midfielders, not with just two. But with three, Kobbie will have more minutes.”
Guardiola is known as a strict coach when it comes to player fitness levels and in 2016 exiled some of his squad from first-team training until they met certain weight targets.
Guardiola previously apologised to Kalvin Phillips after saying the City midfielder was “overweight” on his return from the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
City are two points behind Premier League leaders Arsenal, who beat Everton 1-0 on Saturday, and face Forest before an away fixture at Sunderland on New Year’s Day.
Guardiola said he had no problem with his squad’s fitness or running, but they simply “have to play better”.
“The players asked me to have tomorrow’s [Sunday’s] training session off and I said no, because they didn’t play well enough,” Guardiola said.
“So Sunday recovery, train the guys that didn’t play, and after three days off they have two days to prepare for Nottingham Forest.”
Guardiola added that it was important for his players to spend time with their families over the Christmas period.
“I’ve learned from England, since I arrived, as much days [where you can] have a day off, you give them,” he added.
“The schedule is so tight and the players have to forget. The moment of the game they will be fresh in the legs.”
Alternatively, you could head to Iglesia de Sant Felix – a church built in the Baroque style with three bells.
There is also the Mercado Central de Sabadell, which is the central market in Sabadell and is a great spot to pick up some souvenirs from local sellers.
The market has been used as a trading hub for centuries and today still is.
One recent visitor said: “Beautiful building outside and inside. There is a great selection of meat, fish, vegetables and breads.
“There are also some stalls offering cooked food and other ready to eat choices are also available.”
Another visitor said: “Very spacious inside allowing traders plenty of space to show off their fresh produce. The fruits stalls are eye catching.
“I had a cafe con leche and chocolate croissant at the bustling tapas bar.”
Another place to head to is Los Lavaderos de la Font Nova – these historic laundry rooms are part of the city’s heritage, but have been preserved and today tourists can see where people used to do their laundry in the 1830s.
Also make sure to head to Masia de Can Deu, which is a historic estate with a museum, rescued church and even a small farm.
Sabadell also makes a great base for heading off hiking as there are several trails nearby.
If you happen to be in Sabadell in September, make sure to visit Fiesta Mayor, where the city transforms into a lively destination with lots of music, fireworks, parades and carnival rides.
Or if you are in the city in December, head to City Hall, where for the first 24 days of the month an advent calendar is brought to life with a new light shining each day.
The annual tradition has a main character called El Llaminer, who is a fairytale-like figure made of sweets, who sings and tells a different story each evening.
Across the city, there are numerous places to grab a bite to eat including Maximmus Pizzeria Napoletana, which is the best rated spot on TripAdvisor.
There are even historic laundry rooms in the cityCredit: Wikipedia
The restaurant serves up freshly made pizzas, including ‘The peasant woman’ with sausage, artichoke, parmesan and oil for €16 (£13.97).
Alternatively, you could grab a ‘Quattro Formaggi’. which features four different cheese including parmesan, mozzarella, gorgonzola and provolone for €16.50 (£14.41).
There are a number of places to grab a tipple as well, such as These Wild Geese, Irish pub, where a cocktail will set you back just €7.30 (£6.37).
There are just a handful of hotels to choose from across the city, including Urban Sabadell which costs from £65 per night for two people.
Return flights to Barcelona in January cost from £34 per person.
Then to get to Sabadell, you can jump on a train or bus which takes about 40 minutes.
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca says reports describing him as a potential successor to Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola are “100% speculation”.
The 45-year-old is the former assistant to Guardiola at City and there have been multiple reports that his mentor could step down at the end of this season.
The Italian was appointed Chelsea manager in June 2024 and has a contract running until 2029, with an option to extend by a further season.
When asked whether there was any truth to the City reports, Maresca said: “It doesn’t affect me at all because I know that is 100% speculation. And at this moment, there is no time for these kind of things.
“First of all, because I have a contract here until 2029 probably. And my focus, I said many times, is just about this club and I’m very proud to be here. But again, it’s speculation. One week ago I was in Italy, the same with Juventus. So I don’t pay attention because I know that is not true.”
Fourth-placed Chelsea play Newcastle in the Premier League on Saturday at 12:30 GMT.
A remarkable, chaotic, mesmerising Premier League thriller at Old Trafford captured the imagination even of the clinical operators in the dugout.
“Really difficult to explain,” said Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola. “But I prefer 4-4 to 0-0.”
“Fun,” was Manchester United counterpart Ruben Amorim’s initial observation.
Analysing for Sky Sports, Jamie Carragher went further.
“The best game of the Premier League season so far,” said the former England and Liverpool defender. “It was almost a throwback to Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United with attacking football.
“It is the best I have seen Man Utd. For the majority of the game, they were absolutely fantastic.
“For the first time under Amorim – and first time in a long time – I felt like I was watching what Man Utd are supposed to be. Wave after wave attack, but the inability to defend has hurt them.”
For the record, Ferguson took charge of two games when United scored four and didn’t win.
The first was a significant factor in his side’s failure to win the 2012 title as United threw away a 4-2 lead and drew 4-4 with Everton at Old Trafford.
The other was Ferguson’s very last match, an extraordinary 5-5 draw at West Brom in 2013.
Amorim has a very long road ahead before he can be compared to Ferguson.
But at least, on a night when his side led twice in the first half, then fought back to get their noses in front again after conceding two in a matter of minutes at the start of the second, and finally had to settle for a point as Bournemouth finished the stronger, he understood what everyone had witnessed.
In a vibrant first half, the hosts’ had the highest non-penalty xG value (2.49), most shots (17) and joint-most touches in the opposition’s box (30) of any side in the opening 45 minutes of a Premier League match this season.
“If you understand a little bit,” Amorim said. “If you follow the club like I follow the Premier League for so long, you [know you] have not just the duty to try to win the games. The way you try to win the games is so important for the fans.
“Of course they are desperate to win, but also, I feel that they are desperate to be inspired when they come to Old Trafford.
“Today was inspiring, I think, also because of Bournemouth. But in the end that’s the feeling of frustration of not winning the game.”
