Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim says he doesn’t feel pressure going into home games, despite the Red Devils, who host Town on Wednesday evening, having lost five of their last six Premier League matches on their own turf.
Since the start of December, United, who are 15th in the table, have beaten only Southampton, 3-1, at Old Trafford in the Premier League. Overall, their league record at home reads won five, drawn one and lost seven.
It was put to Amorim that there is an expectancy that his side should beat the Blues comfortably with former United first-team coach Kieran McKenna’s team going into the match 18th, five points plus goal difference from safety.
"Since I arrived, when I took the job, for me I expect to win all the games at home and you have that feeling,” he said at his pre-match press conference.
"I don’t feel the pressure because the supporters are amazing and every time you go into a game at Old Trafford, you feel the support until the end.
"And sometimes you have one play in one half and you feel like the supporters want it so bad.
"So I don’t feel the pressure and we have to stop thinking about the last games. It’s a new game, it can be a new story, so let’s go forward and play the game.”
Yesterday United, announced plans which could see another 150-200 jobs axed in addition to the 250 which went last year as part of a corporate restructure.
Amorim was asked whether that news was a blatant indication that the club’s fortunes on the field must improve fast.
"That is clear,” the Portuguese admitted. "We have to address all the problems in the club, but one important piece of this moment is to understand we get to this situation.
"It has a lot to do with the lack of success with the football team. We are the engine of any football club. I just want to help the club in my department, to improve the team, to improve the players, to have success.”
Amorim says it’s tough to see people depart the club: "It's always hard for everybody. They see the friends and the team-mates losing their jobs.”
Amorim was asked whether the announcement makes winning matches even more difficult.
"It's hard enough!” he smiled ruefully. "This year was really hard for everybody. We made, as a club, a lot of changes. Then when you are doing changes, if you have a football team who is playing well and winning games, it's easier for the fans and everybody to feel that changes.
"At this moment, we are in a difficult moment inside of the club and the pitch, so we have to fight against this feeling and do our job, try our best in this moment to help the team perform better.”
Amorim says he won’t have any of his injured players back, while it’s understood right-back Noussair Mazraoui is a doubt with a knee problem which forced him off in the 70th minute of the 2-2 draw at Everton on Saturday.
Lisandro Martinez, Luke Shaw, Mason Mount, Amad Diallo, Kobbie Mainoo, Tom Heaton, Altay Bayindir, Jonny Evans and Toby Collyer all remain sidelined.
”No, I think it’s the same,” he added. "They are improving but nobody is recovering for this game.”