Ruben Amorim Delivers Shocking Wake-Up Call to Rising Star Leny Yoro
Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim cautioned Leny Yoro that his obvious distress following his display against Crystal Palace in their previous match must not occur again.
The Red Devils suffered a disastrous opening 45 minutes versus Palace. Though the whole squad struggled, Yoro faced heavy scrutiny after conceding the spot-kick that allowed Jean-Philippe Mateta to give the Eagles the lead.
Yoro was substituted in the 54th minute, moments before United launched their two-goal fightback, and appeared deeply distraught as he reached the dugout. Even post-match, while United acknowledged their away supporters, a clearly emotional Yoro required consolation from Mason Mount.
While expressing gratitude to Mount for his gesture of solidarity, Amorim confessed: "I had words with [Yoro] as well because he overthinks things. He commits an error during the match and then suffers because he's so young and desires to excel at everything. He's developing through matches and through disappointments; it's challenging for him as a youngster.
"He mustn't display that [response] to the supporters, the manner in which he approached the bench. He grasps this, though he was genuinely frustrated. It demonstrates his passion. He recognizes it wasn't his finest performance, yet he executed certain aspects well and I highlighted that to him. He's prepared and available for the upcoming test."
Amorim: Pressure Also Affecting Matheus Cunha
United's coach has adopted an especially direct style of player management recently. Full-back Patrick Dorgu faced tough questioning regarding his apparent nervousness in possession before being omitted from the Palace fixture, and Amorim also delivered firm feedback to the returning Matheus Cunha.
The Brazilian forward, a £62.5 million ($83.2 million) acquisition from Wolverhampton Wanderers this summer, has found the net only once across his initial 11 outings for United and will be eager to increase that figure in his anticipated comeback from a head knock against West Ham United on Thursday.
"[Cunha] was having difficulties because he wasn't finding the target and was overthinking the statistics," Amorim explained. "The impact he brings to the squad is crucial for us, though I believe Cunha has significant room for improvement both defensively and in attack.
"I believe he can reach higher levels. He's at a different club with different expectations. He handled that transition admirably, but he senses his desire to score and create assists."
Amorim added: "I believe he found these two matches on the sidelines difficult. He was struggling because he enjoys participating and finds joy in playing the game, which is vital for our squad—he embraces the pressure and the challenge, so I think being sidelined wasn't beneficial for him. He observed numerous players performing well, particularly in his role, so he's dissatisfied.
"On Thursday perhaps he'll get the chance to return and find the net again or provide an assist."