Ruben Amorim said Manchester United must “grow up” as a team after extending their winless start to the season by throwing away a lead to draw 1-1 against Fulham at Craven Cottage on Sunday.
Leny Yoro’s deflected header gave United the lead at 58 minutes after Bruno Fernandes had missed a first-half penalty. But substitute Emile Smith Rowe equalized for Fulham 15 minutes later.
After losing 1-0 at home to Arsenal in their opening game of the season last week, United have just one point from two matches and next face a tricky Carabao Cup tie away to League Two’s Grimsby Town on Wednesday.
With his side once again failing to get a positive result, Amorim said his players need to refocus.
“I think we scored the goal and then we forgot about how we play,” Amorim said. “We have to grow up a lot as a team.
“The moment that changed the game was our goal. We want to win so badly, and that is a good feeling, that we scored a goal and everyone on the pitch was thinking, ‘Let’s hold on to the advantage and try to win the game.’
“For me, that is the moment that we have to enjoy more and push the opponent,” he said. “We tried to press the opponent super high and left a lot of space.
“You need to win to have the feeling to relax a little bit, not in the intensity and the way we play, but maintaining our mind.
“We suffer a little bit in the end because the momentum changed more with the goal of Fulham,” the coach added. “In the first half we were there — we missed a penalty. Fernandes has so much responsibility with him that I felt the lack of joy [when he missed]. And he was thinking in the past. Now, we have to move forward no matter what happens.”
Amorim, meanwhile, said he has no concerns about the failure of his £200 million summer attacking signings to score so far this season.
Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko are still waiting for their first goals for the club after their big-money arrivals.
“I think the feeling is there,” Amorim said. “The goals, we are going to score goals because we are creating so many chances.
“Sesko needs time. It’s not easy to come off the bench and get into the game. It is really fast, and he is understanding that it is faster than the Bundesliga. He was not on the pitch in our best moment, and we need to help him more sometimes.”
