Manchester United
Amorim explains substitution decisions after Amad rescue ends United winning run
Amorim defended his substitutions after Amad rescued a 2–2 draw and United saw a winning run end….
Ruben Amorim defended his approach after Manchester United were held to a 2–2 draw at Nottingham Forest, a result that stopped the club’s run of consecutive wins. He said he feared bringing on another striker late in the game might have done more harm than good.
Amorim made attacking changes by introducing full backs Patrick Dorgu and Noussair Mazraoui while leaving Mason Mount and Joshua Zirkzee among the substitutes. He replaced Diogo Dalot and Leny Yoro as he looked to create different crossing angles and movement from the flanks.
“Sometimes, if you put more strikers on, I don’t feel we are going to play better,” Amorim explained. “If you see Diogo Dalot, many times with space to make a cross but he has the right foot and is always coming inside, without space…
“With Patrick, we are going to do the same thing but, when you have the ball, got to the side and cross from the spaces there. Because, if you want to come inside, Matheus Cunha is always there to receive the ball.
“If you see the start of the second half, Leny is always the one with the space to run with the ball. Nous is a full back so I try to use the characteristics of the player. It’s not the quality because we have the quality on the bench.
“Also, if I stop the game all the time, I have the feeling I am going to break something. We were going to improve in the second half so the feeling was not to change anything.
“I know Amad can do much better, he is really dangerous one-on-one so, sometimes, we expect it just from that one guy. He was not doing a great game for us but managed to score. He has the potential to do so much better and we lost two points today.
“If [Kobbie] Mainoo and Mason Mount was there, also Josh [Zirkzee] and then you have to imagine the game. Josh is better like a little bit like Cunha, playing between the lines. If you see the game, we need a guy who needs to be inside the box. Ben [Šeško] is the best one to do that.
“Sometimes, it’s the characteristics of the game and they know that it’s just the moment. We try to do our best, it’s nothing to do with the quality on the bench. We have a lot of games where that happens.”
Amad Diallo’s late volley salvaged a point but the young winger was subdued after the final whistle, focusing on the draw rather than the quality of the finish.
“I don’t know if it is Goal of the Season,” he said. “We are really disappointed to go home with one point.
“It’s always difficult to play Nottingham Forest. We wanted to win this game coming from three in a row. We are a bit disappointed because we go home with one point. But we will learn from this.
“I think we have confidence now. We believe in the manager and we believe in the system. We are training to do the best. Everyone is now focused. We had three wins in the row and we wanted to make it four and were unlucky.
“We are doing things step by step and we believe in the manager like he believes in us. Every game for us is like a final. We wanted to bring this team to the top level. We wanted to win this game and we are disappointed as a team.”
Man Utd Transfer News
Cunha: Teammates Want Casemiro to Remain Beyond This Season
Matheus Cunha says teammates ‘hope there’s a little bit more’ as Casemiro’s future remains unclear..
Matheus Cunha has suggested that many within the Manchester United squad would welcome Casemiro staying beyond this campaign, despite the Brazilian’s public indications that he is ready to move on.
Cunha made the point after Sunday’s win over Liverpool, underlining Casemiro’s influence both on the pitch and in the dressing room. “I play with him in the national team and I know how important he is. He’s an amazing guy and to have this guy in the dressing room is a privilege,” the forward told reporters.
The midfielder has produced arguably his best form since arriving in England from Real Madrid and his experience is a clear asset. As a five-time European champion with Real Madrid, Casemiro’s knowledge would be valuable when Manchester United return to the Champions League in 2026–27.
Cunha added that uncertainty over contract details leaves room for hope. “We don’t know in the end how it is with his contract. [But] then, of course, we—everyone—hope there’s a little bit more. I know it’s harder than we talked about, but, in the end, you never know.”
At 34, Casemiro is described in the draft as not old by today’s standards and clearly a popular dressing-room figure. The piece highlights that his continued presence could act as a morale boost and that United might manage his minutes, with the option of reducing Premier League appearances to focus on European fixtures.
The article also notes the squad’s underlying need for reinforcements. Even before Casemiro’s departure was announced, Manchester United required midfield strengthening. Now the team reportedly needs three or possibly four new midfielders ahead of next season. If Casemiro were to remain, the immediate task of replacing him directly could be deferred until 2027.
Those are the positions and considerations facing the club as the season progresses and questions over Casemiro’s future remain open.
Manchester United
VAR ruled ‘inconclusive evidence’ after Šeško goal stood in Manchester United v Liverpool
Premier League: VAR said ‘no conclusive evidence’ Šeško handled ball; Darren England saw no issue. .
The Premier League issued an explanation after Benjamin Šeško’s goal for Manchester United against Liverpool was allowed to stand, citing a lack of definitive camera evidence. Bruno Fernandes’s header was diverted awkwardly by Liverpool’s third-choice custodian and fell on to Šeško’s body. Enhanced replay suggested the ball may also have skimmed the striker’s fingers.
On-pitch referee Darren England saw no issue with the finish and video assistant referee Stuart Attwell did not recommend a review on the touchline. As the Premier League would subsequently explain on their official Match Centre X account, “The referee’s call of goal was checked and confirmed by VAR—with it deemed there was no conclusive evidence that Šeško handled the ball before scoring.”
The matter was treated as one of evidence rather than intent. The FA’s Law 12 is clear that it is a handball offence if a player “scores in the opponents’ goal directly from their hand/arm, even if accidental.” In situations where the scorer is the suspected offender, the VAR process must identify a clear and conclusive angle to overturn the on-field decision. In this case officials concluded no such angle existed.
Reaction online was immediate. Blown-up images that appeared to show Šeško’s left ring finger make contact prompted calls for the goal to be disallowed. “That definitely looked like it hit Sesko’s left hand and got pushed more towards goal” reflected a commonly held view among commentators. Former Manchester United centre back Rio Ferdinand compared the moment to Diego Maradona’s “hand of god” goal, while Arne Slot pleaded for a handball from the Liverpool dugout and club icon Sir Kenny Dalglish tapped his arm in frustration from the Old Trafford stands. Even some Manchester United supporters accepted the ball may have touched Šeško’s hand. “Sesko aka hand of god! Love to see it” was among the fan responses.
With the VAR process concluded, the decision to allow the goal rested on the absence of conclusive footage rather than a judgment of intent.
Analytics & Stats
How Bruno Fernandes can rewrite two Premier League assist records against Liverpool
Fernandes can break two Premier League assist records: season assists (19) and set-piece assists…
Michael Carrick’s tactical change has given Bruno Fernandes room to operate in the right-side pocket behind the front line, and the results are clear. Carrick restored United’s skipper to the No. 10 role after a period in Ruben Amorim’s two-man midfield, and Fernandes says the move has altered his positioning. “I float a lot in that zone there now with Michael,” Fernandes reflected in an interview with Opta. “He doesn’t want me to just be stuck in the middle, so often asks me to find that pocket [of space].”
That positional freedom has put Fernandes on the cusp of two Premier League landmarks with four matches left in the season. He has 19 assists in 2025–26, level with Mesut Özil on the season charts and one behind the all-time single-season mark of 20 set by Thierry Henry and matched by Kevin De Bruyne in 2019–20. No player in the 34-year history of the Premier League has provided more than 20 assists in a single campaign, and Sunday’s derby with Liverpool presents a high-profile chance to close that gap.
Fernandes showed the shift in focus at Brentford, taking no shots as he concentrated on creating. Eventually, Benjamin Šeško finished one of the five chances Fernandes created, taking the skipper to 19 assists and a single assist behind the record.
If Matheus Cunha recovers from a slight hip issue, he is the likeliest direct beneficiary. As Opta note, Cunha has received 19 open-play chances from Fernandes this season—the most chances any player has been provided by a single teammate in the current Premier League campaign.
There is also a set-piece subplot. United’s No. 8 has set the former Real Madrid man up for six Premier League goals this season—another division high—five of which have come from set pieces. Fernandes sits on 10 set-piece assists, one shy of Steven Gerrard’s top-flight record of 11. The midfielder has worked on dead balls and admits the demands have changed: “I will tell you that five years ago, I would go to take a corner and just put the ball into the middle of the box and let’s see if someone gets it,” he revealed. “And nowadays I have to hit a spot, so sometimes it’s even harder to get an assist from a set piece than it actually is in open play.”
