Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has urged his team to “grow up a lot” after a disappointing 1-1 draw against Fulham. Amorim expressed frustration with his team’s inability to hold onto leads and their overall lack of composure. The draw leaves United with a poor run of form since April, and Amorim acknowledged the need for improvement in both training and game situations. Fulham boss Marco Silva also voiced his displeasure with several VAR decisions that went against his team during the match.
Ruben Amorim has called for Manchester United to "grow up a lot" following their disappointing 1-1 draw against Fulham at Craven Cottage on Sunday. The result, which saw Emile Smith Rowe's quick response deny United their first Premier League win of the 2025-26 season, has left Amorim frustrated and searching for answers.
Fulham's equalizer, coming just 94 seconds after Smith Rowe entered the pitch, cancelled out Rodrigo Muniz's own goal, which had given United the lead in the 58th minute. Bruno Fernandes also missed a penalty in the first half, compounding United's woes.
Amorim, the former Sporting CP boss, didn't hold back in his assessment of his team's performance. "I think we scored the goal and then we forgot about how we play," he told BBC Radio 5 Live. "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'."
He continued, "For me that is the moment that we have to enjoy more and push the opponent. We tried to press the opponent high and left a lot of space. We have to grow up a lot as a team. For me 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. The moment that changed the game was our goal."
The statistics paint a grim picture for United under Amorim. Since the start of April, they have accumulated fewer points than any other Premier League team that has been ever-present in the league during that time. Even Leicester City, now playing in the Championship, have more Premier League points during that period. Amorim's Premier League win percentage stands at just 24.1%, the same as Neil Warnock, who has twice been relegated from the division.
When asked about how United can "grow up," Amorim emphasized the importance of training and game experience. "Training, in the game. You need to win to have the feeling to relax a little bit, not in the intensity and the way we play, but by maintaining our mind," he explained. "We suffer a little bit in the end because the momentum changed more with the goal of Fulham. In the first half we were there, we missed a penalty. Fernandes has so much responsibility. Now we have to move forward no matter what happens."
24.1% – Ruben Amorim now has a Premier League win percentage of 24.1% (7 wins in 29 games), the exact same percentage as Neil Warnock (won 27 of 112 games), who was twice relegated from the Premier League. Worry. pic.twitter.com/4HfNUTncRv
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) August 24, 2025
The pressure is mounting on Amorim to turn things around at Old Trafford. The missed penalty by Fernandes, the defensive lapses that led to Fulham's goal, and the overall lack of composure have all contributed to United's struggles. Amorim needs to find a way to instill a winning mentality and improve the team's ability to manage games effectively.
Meanwhile, Fulham boss Marco Silva expressed his frustration with several VAR decisions that went against his team. Silva was particularly unhappy with the penalty awarded to United, arguing that referee Chris Kavanagh overturned his original decision based on a questionable VAR review. He also felt there was a foul in the build-up to United's goal.
"I would like to explain everything about the VAR decisions this afternoon but I can’t," Silva told BBC Radio 5 Live. "They were unbelievable seeing two fouls at the same time, [Luke] Shaw on Rodrigo [Muniz] and Bassey on Mount at the same time, both fouls, and they saw that the Bassey foul was half of a second before the Shaw foul on Muniz?"
Silva added, "Then the second one [the United goal]. I think what I saw is what everyone saw in the stadium, everyone around the world saw it. Two players were isolated at a corner and one player pushed the other to head the ball. If you go by the rules you know what is going to happen. I would like those types of decisions to always be the same. Simple as that."
The VAR controversy added another layer of frustration to what was already a disappointing day for both teams. As United look to address their issues on the pitch, Fulham will be seeking clarity and consistency in the application of VAR.
Ultimately, Amorim's demand for Manchester United to "grow up" highlights the urgent need for improvement. The team's inability to maintain leads, coupled with individual errors and VAR-related frustrations, has created a challenging environment at Old Trafford. The coming weeks will be crucial for Amorim as he strives to instill a winning mentality and guide United back to success.