Ruben Amorim was delighted with the post-match altercation between Rasmus Hoylund and Amad Diallo in the Czech Republic as the Manchester United boss saw the enthusiasm he wanted from his players.
After losses to Arsenal and Nottingham Forest and the surprise exit of sporting director Dan Ashworth, the Red Devils lifted spirits with a 2-1 victory over Plzen in the Europa League on Thursday.
Andre Onana’s error allowed former Burnley striker Mattei Vydra to give the home side the lead early in the second half, but United substitute Hoylund equalized soon after with the game still on the line. A goal scored two minutes later to help Amorim achieve his first away victory as Manchester United coach.
Bruno Fernandez set up Rasmus Hojlund for the winning goal, his seventh chance against Victory Plzen
But the overriding emotion for the two-goal winner throughout the match was frustration as Diallo opted to go solo rather than cross, resulting in him being denied the chance to complete his hat-trick in stoppage time.
After another break, Hoylund opted not to pass the ball to the striker, leading to a fracas at the final whistle, which new manager Amorim viewed as a positive.
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“Yes (I know that), for me it’s perfect,” the United manager said.
“You know, in this moment we need to feel something. If we need to fight each other, it’s like a family. To me, that’s a very, very good sign. We need to feel something, and this is very important.
Rasmus Hoylund has been involved in 50% of United’s goals in the Europa League this season
For the Portuguese, it showed that the players care, saying: “It’s clear.
“When you don’t care, you do nothing. When you care, you fight your brother, your father, your mother. To me, that’s a very good sign.
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“It’s a normal thing. I think it’s a positive thing, a healthy thing, so I asked the players and the captain to calm down.
“If I find it’s too much, I’ll go into the dressing room. But it’s their space, they have to talk, they have to fight, and for me that’s another very important thing.”
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Thursday’s win takes United a big step towards the Europa League knockout stages and boosts their chances of finishing in the top eight, meaning they will bypass the play-offs.
It’s a welcome shot in the arm ahead of an away trip to rivals Manchester City, and another step in Amorim’s attempt to build a team in his own image.
No team in the UEFA Europa League has gained more points from defeats than Manchester United this season (7)
“In this moment, in this context, the way we give our opponents goals, the important thing is not to give up,” he said.
“It’s a good message. It wasn’t a great game, but we managed to do these good things, which are good things when you build a team, and I think we deserved this win.
“I’m happy that we won the game and still fought against each other. It’s a very good thing.
“When you win and you play with your teammates because you want to score another goal, to me it’s a really good day for us.”
