'Of course': Ruben Amorim shares honest opinion on how good Liverpool really are after three straight defeats
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Liverpool’s reputation as Premier League champions has taken a minor hit after losing three matches in a row.The Reds made a fast start to the campaign, underlining their status as championship favourites by winning their opening five matches.However, two Premier League defeats have been compounded by a Champions League loss against Galatasaray, leaving Liverpool second in the table.Join our newsletter for news & smart analysis. Arne Slot has plenty of issues to address ahead of a tasty-looking clash against Manchester United at Anfield on Sunday.Slot’s opposite number this weekend also has a full plate, with Ruben Amorim suffering a tough year at the helm of United.Amorim was under consideration at Liverpool before they settled on Slot, and as he prepares to take charge at Anfield for the second time, the Portuguese has given his view on how good Liverpool and their head coach really are.Photo by DARREN STAPLES/AFP via Getty ImagesRuben Amorim impressed by ‘really good’ LiverpoolAmorim picked up a respectable 2-2 draw on his first trip to Anfield as United manager, on a day Liverpool fans will mainly remember for a dismal Trent Alexander-Arnold performance.The Reds are in similarly poor form heading into this one, but when asked about Liverpool’s three consecutive defeats during his pre-match press conference on Friday, Amorim suggested it has no bearing on how good Liverpool are.READ MORE: Bruno Fernandes pays tribute to Diogo Jota ahead of Liverpool vs Manchester United“I am just focused on my team,” the Man United manager replied.
“Of course, we pay a lot of attention to the opponents and especially an opponent that won the league, and they are a really, really good team with a really, really good coach, but my focus is on my team.” “I just want to see my team playing the way we want to play.”After picking up a good result against Sunderland heading into the international break, there is a returning feeling of positivity around United. It will be up to Liverpool to trample on that with a better display of their own.Liverpool must start quickly against UnitedDespite United bouncing back with a win against a decent Sunderland team in their last match, they are still a far worse team than Liverpool right now.Far too often the Reds have not made their advantage over their biggest rivals count in recent times, and have been dragged down to their level, particularly at Anfield.If Liverpool begin the way they have been doing recently on Sunday – and concede the first goal – they will make their life unnecessarily difficult once again.Instead, Slot needs to get his team on the front foot early.
If they can take an early lead then some confidence should start to return and Liverpool will remember who they are.Amorim will hoping for the opposite, of course, but his deference to Liverpool shows that he knows just how dangerous Sunday’s game could be for his team.