Ruben Amorim blasts Man United collapse at Old Trafford
Ruben Amorim did not try to hide his emotions after Manchester United let a late lead slip in a 1-1 draw against West Ham at Old Trafford on Thursday. The United manager admitted he was frustrated and angry as an avoidable equaliser cost his side two crucial Premier League points.
United had been moments away from jumping into the top five, but an 83rd minute strike from Soungoutou Magassa erased Diogo Dalot’s earlier opener and left the home crowd stunned. For Amorim, it was the manner of the concession that stung most.
The Portuguese coach has spent weeks demanding tighter concentration in the final stages of matches. On this night, a simple long ball undid it all. What looked like a routine clearance sailed over Leny Yoro, allowed Jarrod Bowen to force a corner, and from that set piece Magassa punished United’s hesitation. It was the kind of sequence that has haunted this team throughout the season.
Amorim has built a reputation as a detail obsessed coach since arriving in Manchester, so the disappointment was immediate. Speaking after the match, he summed up his feelings in two sharp words. “Frustrated, angry, that’s it” he said, choosing brevity over diplomacy.
His irritation grew as he dissected the decisive play. He insisted this was not one of those second halves where United lost control of the rhythm. Instead, it was a collapse in the fundamentals. “After the first goal, we lost some second balls” he explained. “We try to defend far from the goal. The goal happened from a long ball. They won the second ball against three guys so we need to be better.”
The height mismatch at the corner only highlighted the issue. West Ham, one of the league’s most physically dominant teams, were handed the exact situation they thrive in. “We cannot let a team that is so much taller than us to have a corner like that” Amorim added, a pointed reminder of the tactical plan that had just been ignored.
The result leaves United sitting eighth in the Premier League, a position that could tighten the pressure ahead of Monday’s visit to Wolves. For a club that has spoken openly about returning to Champions League football, moments like this raise uncomfortable questions. Can this squad protect leads? Can they handle late pressure? And more importantly, how long will Amorim tolerate the same mistakes?
United are improving in structure and spirit, yet nights like this show how fragile the progress still is. A single long ball, a lost duel, a corner conceded and suddenly the narrative shifts again. The trip to Wolves now becomes more than just another league fixture. It becomes a test of whether this team can learn quickly enough to keep their season on course.