Ruben Amorim makes Man Utd 'doubts' admission in brutal reality check

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim isn't getting carried away after consecutive victories, insisting the small margins at play mean it's too early to remove some doubts. The Red Devils secured back-to-back league triumphs for the first time under the Portuguese manager, following their home success against Sunderland with a Harry Maguire-inspired win at Liverpool.

However, Amorim remains acutely aware of how slender the margins have been, with Liverpool denied by the woodwork on three occasions. United now face Brighton at home, nine months after defeat in the same fixture prompted Amorim to publicly question whether his squad was the weakest in the club's illustrious history. Those broader concerns persist despite the recent upturn in results, even after United's last win saw them climb to within two points of the top four.

"No, what I mean is that we cannot change so much," Amorim told reporters ahead of the Brighton game when asked about media questions. "I think they ask me about top four in the end of the question. So, I don't want to change so much with the difference of 20 centimetres.

"If [Cody] Gakpo shot 20 centimetres here, the narrative would be completely different. So, I just want to maintain some calm, some direction in what we are doing. That's what I mean.

"There is doubts if you are a manager in this kind of club, [and] you don't win a lot of games, people are going to doubt you. And they have reasons for that, but my point of view is that we need to be clear on our path and not changing so much because we win one game, that's all."

Amorim has deployed his summer acquisitions, with Senne Lammens, Matheus Cunha and goalscorer Bryan Mbeumo all starting at Anfield. Benjamin Sesko finished the game up front after starting from the bench, and will be pushing for a place in Amorim's starting line-up on Saturday.

United have suffered defeat in their previous three home league fixtures against Brighton and triumphed in two of their last eight encounters across all competitions. One of those successes only arrived via penalties following a goalless stalemate in a 2023 FA Cup semi-final.

Brighton manager Fabian Hurzeler was questioned about the fitness of Kaoru Mitoma, who found the net at Old Trafford last season but has been absent from the previous two matches with a foot injury. The Seagulls are anticipated to make a late call on the Japan international, although Diego Gomez is fit despite being substituted early against Newcastle last time out.

"I think Kaoru Mitoma is helpful for us in every game because he has a special quality that is always a danger for the opponents," Hurzeler said at his pre-match press conference. For sure it would be great to have him in the team if he's available.

"We won't complain [if he's not]. We will find solutions. We have other good players. There might be a chance for Tommy Watson, there might be a chance for other wingers in our squad. But for sure, we will try everything so that he will be in the squad because he's a game changer for us."