Ruben Amorim Dismisses Arne Slot’s 'Long Ball' Criticism

Arne Slot said Manchester United relied on “a low block and long balls” after Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat at Anfield.
Ruben Amorim brushed off the remarks, saying he doesn’t care what Slot or anyone else says about his team.
Amorim praised United’s adaptability and urged calm, saying back-to-back wins are “no big deal.”

Ruben Amorim has dismissed comments made by Liverpool manager Arne Slot following Manchester United’s 2-1 win at Anfield, insisting he “does not care” what others say about his team’s playing style.

United earned their first victory at Anfield since 2016 when Harry Maguire’s 84th-minute header sealed the result shortly after Cody Gakpo had equalised Bryan Mbeumo’s early opener. The defeat was Liverpool’s fourth in a row in all competitions, prompting Slot to take aim at Amorim’s tactics.

“It is always difficult to play against a team that defends in a low block and mainly plays the long ball,” Slot said after the match.

Amorim, however, refused to be drawn into the discussion when speaking ahead of United’s home game against Brighton.

“Liverpool is in the past, I don’t want to comment,” Amorim said. “That is not important. Important is what Fabian [Hürzeler] said to try to understand what is going to happen [against Brighton].

“I understand everything. I am really pleased that the team can play different games. It was an important win, but I was the first one to say that we need to play better with the ball. So, I don’t care what Slot is saying, what people are saying about our team.

“I can evaluate my team and I am really clear that we should play better with the ball. We are going to try to do that in this game.”

The victory marked the first time United have won consecutive Premier League matches since Amorim’s arrival last November. While many fans viewed the result as a potential turning point, the Portuguese coach was quick to temper expectations.

“We are always talking about that but that connects with the other question about the way we face competition,” Amorim said. “If you just think about that, that we are going to try to perform and put everything on the field, that is the most important thing.

“So, sometimes when you talk too much about turning points, it’s worse. Let’s take it naturally. We’ve won two games. It’s no big deal, it should have come sooner. Let’s go for the next game.”

WRITTEN BY

Jarrod

Jarrod Partridge is the Founder of Futbol Chronicle and an accredited journalist with over 30 years of experience following international football. A member of the AIPS International Sports Press Association, Jarrod has covered matches at stadiums around the world, bringing first-hand insight to every match report, player profile, and tactical analysis he writes.