'I had this and worse at Sporting Lisbon at the start' says Amorim

Man Utd defender Lisandro Martinez has backed new manager Ruben Amorim despite just two wins from his first five games.

Reflecting on his start Amorim downplayed any crisis. "I had this and worse in Sporting in the beginning," he said, highlighting that circumstances at Sporting initially were not far different.

However, a close look at Amorim's stint at Lisbon's Sporting suggests otherwise. When he took over Sporting in March 2020, the Portuguese club won six out of its first 11 games and drew three.

The defeat at the hands of Nottingham Forest - their second in four days following a loss to Arsenal - highlights key issues with the team's performance.

One of the most jarring instances was goalkeeper Andre Onana's poor reading of a shot by Forest's Morgan Gibbs-White.

With a visit to Manchester City and a pre-Christmas meeting with in-form Bournemouth in the near future, tangible improvements are necessary.

However, due to United's recruitment legacy, Amorim must seek solutions internally rather than in the transfer market. "We have to manage to continue to do the same things and improve the team. This will turn around," Amorim optimistically concluded.

And Martinez has spoken highly of the "intensity and energy" that Amorim is trying to instill at United. Although the team hasn’t seen the immediate turnaround in results that fans were hoping for, Amorim has introduced a new playing style and is still working on improving the squad.

Amorim is still assessing which players he can rely on as he plans major changes for the end of the season. Under his management, United have drawn with Ipswich Town, defeated Bodo/Glimt and Everton, but also lost to Arsenal and Nottingham Forest.

Currently 13th in the Premier League, the team is still a work in progress, but Amorim has already established a clear identity.

In an interview with the club’s matchday programme, Martinez discussed his coach's style of play and the high-energy football he’s trying to implement.

“It’s the way I like to play — with passion, with energy,” Martinez said. “When you bring that, you connect quickly. He has so many good qualities.

"I think he demands what the club expects, which is important. I like his passion, his intensity, and his approach to both possession and defending. The coaching staff around him is great too — the overall energy is fantastic.”

Martinez also shared his thoughts on Amorim's tactical setup: “We play with three at the back, but during the match, the system adapts. Sometimes it’s four at the back, other times five, depending on how we’re attacking or defending.

"But I like it. I enjoy the intensity and energy, and I like how he wants us to play both with and without the ball. I feel really good in this system.”

While Martinez remains a first-choice defender since Erik ten Hag’s departure, he has struggled for form this season and made a mistake that led to Nottingham Forest’s third goal.