Amorim Stands Firm: Man Utd Boss Refuses to Budge on Controversial Team Selection Against Fulham

Ruben Amorim demonstrated his confidence in Altay Bayındır—or perhaps his reservations about André Onana—by selecting the Turkish goalkeeper as his starter once more in Sunday afternoon's match against Fulham.

Onana was completely excluded from United's matchday roster for their Premier League opener against Arsenal the previous weekend as he continued his recovery from a hamstring problem that disrupted his pre-season training. Bayındır stepped in as his replacement but bore responsibility for the sole goal in a 1–0 loss, showing little composure when confronted with Declan Rice's inswinging corner kick.

Amorim brought Onana, who was the primary No. 1 last campaign, in the traveling squad to Craven Cottage this weekend, but kept the Cameroonian keeper on the substitutes' bench. Following Bayındır's error, his coach firmly supported the 27-year-old, declaring that he possessed the ability to be "unbelievable."

The determined manager acknowledged that Bayındır should "use his hands to catch the ball" but maintained sufficient belief in the Turkish international to give him another start on Sunday.

Both Bayındır and Onana might not be United's first-choice goalkeeper moving ahead, given ongoing negotiations for young Belgian keeper Senne Lammens. The 23-year-old was excluded from Royal Antwerp's lineup this weekend as reports suggest the finalization of a £17.3 million ($23.4 million) transfer.

Benjamin Šeško stayed on the substitutes' bench for Amorim as he works on improving his match sharpness, while Rasmus Højlund was completely absent from the squad as he approaches his own potential move.

Ignoring outside criticism was Amorim's advice to Bayındır and the rest of his squad this week. "The first thing I've already told my players is when you encounter so much criticism, you become frustrated and that is understandable," he shared with Sky Sports this week.

"For me, the only method to shield myself and my players is to advise them to ignore everything. You must be like a monk, particularly when facing difficulties and then I attempt to share the reality because sometimes there exists a story that isn't accurate.

"Altay committed one error, but last season he delivered very strong performances, so I try to communicate that to the players and then work to counter that story.

"But ultimately, it's down to the players, they must enjoy their lives, go to training, cherish their families and attempt to avoid anything on television or online."