"When players try their hardest, I always love them," Amorim said in the post-match press conference. "Even when Amad missed a good chance, I still love him if he gave his all. We played well at the start, although we faced difficulties after Matheus Cunha and Mason Mount's injuries. But effort is always more important than quality, and the players showed their dedication today."
Amorim admitted he experienced a rollercoaster of emotions during the 90 minutes at Old Trafford. Man Utd took the lead twice, only to be pegged back each time. It took a late Bruno Fernandes penalty to secure the three points.
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Coach Ruben Amorim during Man Utd's victory over Burnley at Old Trafford, Manchester, UK, in the third round of the Premier League on 30/8/2025. Photo: Reuters |
Coach Ruben Amorim during Man Utd's victory over Burnley at Old Trafford, Manchester, UK, in the third round of the Premier League on 30/8/2025. Photo: Reuters
In the pre-match press conference, the 40-year-old coach had said he "sometimes loves, sometimes hates" his players. But after the match, he said the team fought until the final whistle with a hunger to score. According to Amorim, another reason the "Red Devils" scored three goals in this match was that the players made more runs into the penalty area to meet crosses, instead of staying outside.
One notable issue was Amorim's use of new signing Benjamin Sesko. The Slovenian striker was not brought on to replace Matheus Cunha or Mason Mount when they were injured. Instead, Amorim chose Joshua Zirkzee and Kobbie Mainoo. Sesko only came on in the 72nd minute, replacing midfielder Casemiro.
Explaining this decision, he said: "Everything is connected. Sesko had cramps in the Grimsby match and wasn't fit enough to play 90 minutes. I didn't want to take any more risks, with Cunha injured. Zirkzee is also an international striker, and I need to distribute the workload appropriately across the squad."
Goalkeeper Altay Bayindir was again deemed at fault for not parrying a Burnley shot far enough, allowing midfielder Jaidon Anthony to score a close-range equalizer in the 66th minute. "Goalkeepers are human," he said. "At Man Utd, every goalkeeper's mistake becomes big news. But the first goal today stemmed from our penalty area defense, not just the goalkeeper's fault. The whole team needs to improve."
While Amorim was satisfied, Burnley were unhappy with the refereeing decisions. Coach Scott Parker believed VAR robbed his team of points. "The referee and linesmen didn't blow the whistle, yet someone sitting hundreds of kilometers away decided it was a clear foul," he said. "Football is becoming increasingly insensitive, with on-field referees gradually being sidelined."
Parker was alluding to VAR Stuart Attwell having too much power. In the incident that led to Man Utd's penalty, referee Sam Barrott and assistants Tim Wood and Ian Hussin didn't blow the whistle or raise their flag when Anthony brought down Amad Diallo in the box. But Attwell intervened, calling Barrott to review the incident. Barrott then awarded Man Utd a penalty, leaving Burnley empty-handed.
Xuan Binh compiled this report.
