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Ruben Amorim has Europa League glory in his sights after Manchester United beat FCSB to secure their place in the round of 16 and invaluable time on the training field.
After opening the new-look league phase with three stuttering draws under Erik ten Hag, the Red Devils ended with five straight wins – four of them under Amorim – to finish third out of 36 teams.
United secured their place in the top eight as Kobbie Mainoo set up Diogo Dalot for the opening goal before the England midfielder scored himself to complete a 2-0 win in Romania as they ended the group unbeaten.
No other team managed to do that across the Champions League or Europa League, underlining Amorim’s evolving side’s place among the favourites to lift the trophy in Bilbao in May.
“I don’t see a big difference in the way that we play, but today we had more time to think and now you can see some movements,” the United head coach said.
“The idea is there because we have more time to play, to understand the game. I think we can go game by game and we can win it.
“Then you have the responsibility, no matter what, no matter the context, you are in Manchester United so you must fight for winning trophies, so we will see.
“When you get to this stage of any competition, anything is possible and they can prove that in a good day, they can win against anybody, so we can think about that.”
United’s win in Bucharest means they skip next month’s play-offs, with a last-16 match awaiting in March against Real Sociedad, Galatasaray, AZ Alkmaar or FC Midtjylland.
Amorim has long spoken of his determination to avoid the play-offs in order to secure time on the training pitch to work with a group he joined in November.
The idea is there because we have more time to play, to understand the game. I think we can go game by game and we can win it.
Ruben Amorim
“That is really, really important for us,” the United boss said.
“To have time to train, to create connection between everybody – even the staff, everybody there in training, go to the pitch, know each other in the right environment.
“I think it’s really important. Then you can have one week to prepare a game, so in the beginning of the week you can work your idea and then you have time to also focus on the opponent and prepare the game in a better way.
“The players can rest, I can understand better my players.”
Amorim used man of the match Mainoo’s excellent display in a more advanced position as an example of the benefits of working with the group.
“We need time to understand the players,” he said. “He was struggling a lot defending as a midfielder.
“Now more as a 10 you can feel that he was so free, playing the ball, near the box and near the box he is really good, the small connections.
“We need time to work with the players and understand the best positions for them.”
