Ruben Amorim blames Manchester United's defensive mindset for draw vs Fulham

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim criticised his side's mentality after they threw away a lead to draw 1-1 with Fulham at Craven Cottage on Sunday, blaming a shift into defensive mode for the dropped points.

United had taken the lead when Rodrigo Muniz inadvertently deflected the ball into his own net, but their advantage lasted less than two minutes as Fulham substitute Emile Smith Rowe equalised with his first touch of the game.

It was a frustrating outcome for Amorim, who felt his players abandoned their attacking principles once they went ahead.

"We scored the goal and then we forgot about how we play," Amorim told the BBC. "We want to win so badly and that is a good feeling, that we scored a goal and everyone on the pitch was thinking, 'Let's hold onto the advantage and try to win the game'. For me that is the moment that we have to enjoy more and push the opponent. We tried to press the opponent super high and left a lot of space. We have to grow up a lot as a team."

United began the match brightly, with Matheus Cunha twice denied inside the opening ten minutes - once by the post and again by a sharp Bernd Leno save. Amorim's side looked fluid in attack, even without Benjamin Sesko in the starting XI, and Bruno Fernandes found space to dictate play when United had possession. But their midfield shape remained fragile out of possession, leaving Casemiro and Fernandes exposed.

That imbalance proved costly. Fernandes' deeper role, necessitated by the summer arrivals of Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, has left United more open defensively, and Fulham repeatedly exploited the gaps.

The United captain endured a difficult evening, missing a first-half penalty that could have doubled his team's advantage. After a VAR review awarded the spot-kick, Fernandes blazed over the crossbar - his fifth miss from the spot since joining the Premier League in 2020.

"I think he is not used to missing penalties," Amorim told Sky Sports. "He knows the importance, that this moment can have a huge impact on the team. During the game he was not happy because he was not involved and he has so much responsibility and I think he thought missing the penalty was huge for us."

Despite being winless after two Premier League matches and already trailing leaders Arsenal by five points, Amorim struck a determined note about United's progress.

"The most important thing is that during the week they were working really hard. Today we worked really hard and we are going to improve," he said. "The players know they are playing in a club where they need to be better. I am really confident that we are going to get many wins."

For a team that finished 15th last season, signs of improvement are visible - but defensive lapses and a lack of composure after taking the lead continue to haunt Amorim's Manchester United.