Ruben Amorim conducted his Arsenal press conference on Monday evening at Old Trafford rather than the Carrington training ground (where it usually is) as the MUFC manager said that they had a meeting with all the staff at the stadium in an effort to try and build a connection and be closer to all the people working for the club.
MUFC travel to The Emirates to take on an Arsenal side that has seen Mikel Arteta pick up some form ahead of what will be a big clash.
The big news for United is that Amorim says that centre-back Leny Yoro is expected to be in the squad to face the Gunners. "Maybe Leny Yoro will be in the squad. We have one more training session to see it." He mentions how Yoro is feeling good at the moment and that his fitness is better after suffering a metatarsal fracture in the pre-season game against Arsenal (funnily enough) in the USA.
He has been out since that 2-1 loss back in July.
The manager also says that Yoro is a "special talent" but that the club have to be careful upon his return. Talking about his attributes, Amorim says that the 19-year-old is "really fast, a modern defender" and that that is a "good thing when you want to press high and you leave strikers one against one, he can manage that."
The United boss adds that Yoro is very good in possession and that he is "really excited" to have him back and see what he can do in matches.
On other team news, the boss discusses captain Bruno Fernandes as he was seen with an ice pack on his foot after being substituted in the win over Everton. The manager says that "he is fit to play."
About tomorrow night's opponents, Amorim says that Arsenal are "the best team that we face by far" but that every game is a test. He mentions that training minutes are limited in this period given the games arriving so quickly and that managing the minutes of players are important. He adds that Arsenal and Arteta are at a different stage in their development.
The 39-year-old also wants his side to be "brave" when they go to The Emirate (20:15 GMT kick off) but it's about understanding different situations in the game and knowing when to brave. Amorim wants to see his team have a good amount of possession and control different moments of the match as it can be difficult in such games to control the entire 90 minutes.
The fans have already come up with a song for the new boss and to that he says he "doesn't like" his chant and that he'd rather the fans chant for the players. However, he understands that it is a good thing for him and that he "really appreciates" the connection with the supporters but that he would prefer if the focus was on the players as they are the ones on the field.
He was asked about Noussair Mazraoui with the boss saying "he is a top player as he understands the game" and that Mazraoui's attacking and defensive game is good. Much like Yoro, Amorim feels that the Moroccan is a "modern player" given his ability with one-v-ones as well as his technicality.
"I think he's the future of our team."
Amorim believes that United need more players like Mazraoui, players who can control the tempo of the game and ones that are really good and comfortable with the ball.
The manager also says that they have to use the "pedigree and size" of the club in order to help move in the right direction and that this needs to be a collective effort. A connection needs to be built between everyone and it's also about helping develop the youth team.
Final Thoughts
Really great news on Yoro. I think we are all excited to see what he can do. It's been a long wait to see him play again as 4 months is a long time.
We know the qualities he possesses which is why we signed him and why Real Madrid were heavily linked with him. He has all the makings of a top player but it's now about getting him into the team and on the field.
I like the fact that we didn't seem to rush him back. The initial layoff time was 3 months instead of 4 and while Amorim has said that Yoro was back training basically since the Portuguese arrived at United, it's only now that he is in the matchday squad. In the past, we know that we had the habit of rushing players back only for them to get injured not long after and be out for another long period.
Amorim is being careful with Yoro indeed.
The rotation from he manager has been brilliant. I know that at times we as fans would like to see certain players play over others but the fact that everyone who's been available has played some minutes is a good thing.
This gives minutes in the legs for those coming back from injury; everyone gets a little more used to the system; and those who need a rest get some time off. Bruno's 'injury' was probably just from him running too much rather than anything serious and probably just him needing something to cool him down with that ice pack on his foot.
There was no way he wasn't going to be available for this match. Taking him off with around half-an-hour to go was ideal as he definitely needs a break. Taking him off at all is unknown to us because Bruno was never substituted by previous managers.
This rotation has been superb and we can see just how well it is working for a lot of the players. Knowing that they are going to get a chance makes them all feel a lot better and keeps them on their toes. There is no favoritism from the manager.
Arsenal are the favorites. As much as that hurts to say, they are, as Amorim said, in a different moment to United. They are further along the line of their time with Arteta and it will be a tough game.
What I like about Amorim's response was that he said he wants the players to be brave. I don't think he's going to approach this game by going all out defend and counter but would rather his players got on the ball and tried to play some Amorim ball. Under Erik ten Hag, it was very much defend and counter and look for Rashford in behind. That is not something I believe Amorim will look to do.
I also like how he knows we cannot control the whole game but would like his team to control different periods. This again, wasn't something we saw under the previous manager as we never controlled the game at any stage when playing against a top side especially away from home. This is the next step in our development as a team but will obviously be very difficult to do so with a new manager.
And ICYMI, United have drawn Arsenal away in the third round of the FA Cup which will be played on the 11th of January (TBC), a week after our trip to Anfield. So we will be seeing the Gunners again quite soon.
Ruben, we are going to sing your name, whether you like it or not. We are happy with you as the manager as we can see the potential for you to bring us back to where we belong. We also really appreciate the sense whenever you speak. The honesty is something that we love.
And we're also just going to sing it because it sounds great and it makes us feel great. It also helps in making you feel more welcome.
"Na-naNa-naNa-naNa-naNa-na-na Ruben Amorim, Amorim, RUBEN AMORIM!"
Background Image: Leny Yoro in Man Utd training | Image via Manchester United official X (@ManUtd)