Amorim Defends Antony, Says Hojlund's Goal Drought is a 'Team Problem'

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has addressed the futures of Antony and Rasmus Hojlund, backing the winger and attributing the striker's goal drought to a 'team problem' ahead of their match against Brighton.

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim addressed the media in his latest press conference, ahead of the team's match against Brighton at Old Trafford. Amorim was asked about his concerns regarding Manuel Ugarte's ability to play back-to-back games for the club. In response, Amorim said: “The players will get used to that. I’m trying to be honest with you guys. I talk openly about the game. You are focused on what I said about Ugarte. Ugarte was tired because he did a great job against Liverpool.”

Amorim elaborated on Ugarte's performance, highlighting his impressive display against Liverpool. “If you look at the game against Arsenal, maybe Ugarte and Bruno (Fernandes) were the best players against Liverpool. They didn't play against Newcastle. I think that happens with all players in the Premier League. They can play, but they don't play the same way,” Amorim explained.

Regarding Antony's recent absence from the squad, Amorim expressed his desire to retain the winger. “Like I said, I want to keep my players, I'm focused on these players. I don't know what is going to happen this window, we'll see. But he did a good job (against Southampton),” Amorim said, indicating that Antony still has a role to play at Manchester United.

Ruben Amorim was questioned about his concerns regarding Rasmus Hojlund's goal-scoring form, with the striker having scored just seven goals in 25 appearances this season. Amorim responded by shifting the focus from individual to team performance, saying: “I think it's a team problem. You can see it, it's not just from now, it's from the past. So we have clearly a lack of goals and a lack of threat.”

Amorim elaborated on the interconnectedness of the team's performance, highlighting how a lack of threat can impact the opponent's approach. “When you threaten the opponents, the opponents maybe don't press you so high. So everything is connected,” he explained. Amorim also noted that all players, including Hojlund, experience fluctuations in form throughout the season.

Time to adapt 🕰️

Ruben discusses @ManuUgarte8's impact at the club so far 🔋🇺🇾#MUFC || #PL

— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 17, 2025

Amorim expressed optimism about Hojlund's ability to regain his scoring form, saying: “All the players have moments in this season. I think when we started this journey together, Rasmus was the player that was always scoring. So he can come back in the next game, we will see.” Ultimately, Amorim emphasized that Hojlund's struggles are part of a broader team issue, stating: “But I think it's more a team problem than a Rasmus problem.”