Manchester United held to draw by West Ham
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has admitted to being ‘frustrated’ and ‘angry’ following his side’s 1-1 draw with West Ham at Old Trafford on Thursday night, reports BritPanorama.
The Red Devils produced another flat display in front of their own supporters, with the Hammers earning a draw through Soungoutou Magassa following a second-half opener from Diogo Dalot.
United had entered the showdown knowing victory would have seen them rise to fifth in the Premier League table. However, less than two weeks on from a woeful 1-0 defeat to Everton on their own turf, they dropped yet more points and were booed off at full-time.
Amorim, speaking after the game, expressed his frustration at United’s performance as a crucial chance to secure three points slipped away. “Frustrated, angry, that is it,” he stated regarding his feelings. “After the first goal, we lost some second balls. We tried to defend all the time far from the goal. It happened long ball, they win the second ball against three guys of us so we need to be better in the second half.”
Dalot’s opener had United on course for victory, marking his first goal at home after seven years at the club. Yet Amorim lamented that his side failed to close the game out, highlighting several opportunities that could have secured the win. “We should have closed the game with the ball because the game was there to win,” he added.
Reflecting on the match, he noted, “The overall performance was not perfect. We had our moments but we lost control in the game in some minutes in the first half and in the second half, especially after the goal.” Meanwhile, Dalot acknowledged the need for improvement, stating, “It’s the solution that we need to find. It shouldn’t be like this because you are fighting 60 minutes to score a goal and then when it happens you should keep doing the same things.”
As the Premier League campaign continues, the pressure mounts on United to address their inconsistency. The players’ inability to maintain control in critical moments is becoming a recurring theme, one that Dalot rightly noted needs to be rectified if they are to challenge effectively in the league.
In the end, Thursday’s match was a stark reminder of how quickly a promising game can turn into another missed opportunity, leaving the fans at Old Trafford with more questions than answers.
