United played out a 1-1 draw with Fiorentina on Saturday, eventually edging the Italian side 5-4 in a penalty shootout. ..Continue Reading
Fiorentina, featuring former United goalkeeper David de Gea, struck first through Simon Sohm, but the hosts equalized thanks to an own goal from Robin Gosens.
New arrivals Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo were named in the starting lineup, while £74 million signing Benjamin Sesko was introduced to the crowd before kick-off.
Sesko is expected to take over from Rasmus Højlund, who was left out of the matchday squad entirely.
With no natural striker available, Mason Mount led the attack and earned praise from Amorim for his energy and overall contribution.
Mount, who struggled during his first two seasons at United following a £55 million transfer from Chelsea, has shown promising form throughout pre-season.
When asked about Mount’s display and his output against Fiorentina, Amorim said: ‘It’s unbelievable. The way he works is unbelievable.
‘I move him all the time in different positions and he knows every position. But also the other guys, it was a good test to prepare for the first game.’
Discussing United’s display more generally, Amorim added: ‘Today was a tough match.
‘We had some difficult moments, especially in the beginning of the first half and the beginning of the second half. We struggled to find the right moment to press.
‘But we controlled other moments of the game. We can do better but it was a perfect game for preparation to show us where we need to improve.’
Amorim conceded he had a number of ‘selection headaches’ ahead of United’s Premier League game against Arsenal next Sunday.
‘That is a good thing and it’s supposed to be like that,’ he said. ‘This is the normal thing.
‘I need to think and the players need to fight during the week to change my mind. I have one idea but they can change my mind during the week.’
Manchester United can hardly perform any worse than they did last campaign after finishing 15th in the Premier League, some 24 points outside the Champions League places.
Their first opponents for the new season, Arsenal, finished third for the third consecutive season.
