Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has declared his team is “a better team” now compared to the side that suffered defeat to Tottenham in last season’s Europa League final.
The Portuguese manager is preparing his squad for a crucial Premier League lunchtime kick-off against Spurs this Saturday, according to the Evening Standard.
The fixture holds significant importance for United, who are currently separated from Tottenham only by goal difference in the table and have failed to beat the North London club in their last seven attempts across all competitions.
That run included four losses last season, culminating in a narrow 1-0 defeat in the Europa League final, which secured Tottenham a major trophy and Champions League qualification.
Speaking ahead of the game, Amorim explained his renewed confidence, citing improvements in the team’s cohesion and understanding.
He stated: “First of all, the characteristics of the players. We have different characteristics in our team but we also have a lot of players that played last year.”
He continued by emphasizing the overall progression of the squad: “So we are a better team, we play better, we understand the game better. I think we are more confident.
We reached that final confident that we could win because we were doing well in Europe, but in this moment we play with a different confidence.”
Amorim is hopeful that the current run of four games unbeaten, including a victory over rivals Liverpool, combined with some luck, can help United overcome their poor record against Spurs.
He noted the fine margins of the final loss: “…if you remember that game they had that [one] shot on the goal, they won the game. I expect a different game, that we can play better but also to have a little bit of luck to help us win the game.”