Ruben Amorim’s call for Manchester United to play smarter after taking the lead went unheeded as they squandered a 1-0 advantage to draw 1-1 with Fulham.
A late equaliser from substitute Emile Smith Rowe cancelled out a Rodrigo Muniz own goal, leaving the United boss frustrated with his team’s inability to manage the game in their 2025/26 Premier League clash.
United looked dominant early, with Matheus Cunha hitting the post inside two minutes and earning a penalty after Calvin Bassey fouled Mason Mount. However, captain Bruno Fernandes sent the spot-kick over the bar, a miss Amorim said weighed heavily.
“He’s not used to missing penalties,” Amorim noted. “I felt he wasn’t as involved because he felt that miss was huge for us.”
The breakthrough arrived in the 58th minute when Leny Yoro’s header deflected off Muniz to put United ahead. But instead of building on their lead, they sat back, allowing Fulham to equalise through Smith Rowe, who scored just 93 seconds after coming on.
“We scored, and then we forgot how we play,” Amorim said. “We should have had more possession and pushed Fulham more. We weren’t smart enough.”
Amorim praised his team’s effort but demanded better decision-making. “We’re putting in the work, and that’s the most important thing,” he said. “But after the goal, we thought about the result, not the performance. We need to grow up as a team.”
He added, “They worked hard today, sometimes not in the best way, but I can work with that. I’m confident we’ll get many wins.”
Fernandes, reflecting on his penalty miss, highlighted a strange moment when referee Chris Kavanagh bumped into him during his run-up. “I was upset,” Fernandes admitted. “As a penalty taker, you have your routines. It triggered me, but that’s not an excuse.”
Amorim also addressed the speculation about Kobbie Mainoo’s squad absence, saying, “Mainoo is fighting for his position, as it should be at Manchester United.”
United’s 200 million pounds attacking trio of Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha, and Bryan Mbeumo showed promise but couldn’t find a winner.
Amorim acknowledged Fulham’s set-piece threat, noting, “We tried to press high, but we pushed the ball to the side too soon. We need to manage games better.”
With United languishing in 16th place with one point from two matches, the pressure is building. They face Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, where Amorim will demand a response.
