Amorim Backs Goalkeepers Despite Bayindir Error in United’s Arsenal Defeat | OneFootball

Amorim’s Keeper Call, United’s Direction, Arsenal’s Edge

Keeper faith or calculated risk

Ruben Amorim insisted that Manchester United do not need to sign a new goalkeeper before the transfer window closes, despite another blunder by Altay Bayindir gifting Arsenal an opening Premier League win at Old Trafford, highlighted in a recent article in The Telegraph. The line matters because it frames a wider question, not only about one position but about the identity of this United project. Bayindir started while André Onana, newly back in training, was left out entirely. “No, no, no. I didn’t drop Onana from the squad,” Amorim said. “It’s not putting André Onana in just one week [after injury] without seeing the game, without time, with only training.” That is medical prudence, yet it also places heavy trust on a deputy who just erred in the marquee fixture of matchday one.

Transfer noise around the number one shirt

Pressed again, the head coach doubled down. Asked if he was happy with his three goalkeepers, he replied: “We proved today that we can win any game in the Premier League, especially against a great team like Arsenal, and we were the better team.” Later, when quizzed about signing a keeper in the next fortnight, Amorim responded: “I’m happy with the three goalkeepers.” These are unequivocal public votes of confidence, and they close the door on short term fixes, even after enquiries earlier in the window for Emiliano Martínez and Gianluigi Donnarumma. That pursuit has cooled, with budget reallocated to a revamped forward line. Donnarumma’s situation has veered toward Manchester City and remains fluid, but the Old Trafford focus clearly lies elsewhere.

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Selection signals up front

The bolder selection statement arrived higher up the pitch. Rasmus Hojlund did not make the squad. “We’ll see what is going to happen on the market,” Amorim said. “So, Rasmus has the same characteristics as [new signing] Benjamin Sesko, so we have to choose.” Competitive language, and a clear declaration of profile preference. It reads like a squad being streamlined, not stockpiled. That is ruthless, and probably necessary, if United are to create automated movements and pressing triggers around Sesko.

Fine margins and Arsenal’s know-how

Amorim claimed Bayindir was fouled by William Saliba for the decisive moment. “It’s not playing the ball. I understand we want goals, but when you are touching the goalkeeper… ” he said before conceding: “We need to be stronger.” That last line is the essence. Arsenal were not slick, but they were hardened. Mikel Arteta called it a “big, big result,” adding, “First game of the season at Old Trafford, when you feel they are building something with new signings, when you are able to come away with a win you are very happy,” and, “That gives you certainly momentum and confidence. Because you know that when you know your standards, in certain aspects, which today we weren’t, we can still find a way to win the game. I look at the players’ faces and they want much more.”

United want more too, beginning with concentration in both boxes. Amorim’s stance on goalkeepers is brave, maybe stubborn, but it fits a coach who values structure, repetition and trust. Results will test that faith soon enough.

Credit to The Telegraph for the original reporting.

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Our View – EPL Index Analysis

An expectant United supporter will read Amorim’s quotes and think, good, clarity at last. The coach is backing his group, he is not scrambling for a headline signing, he is protecting Onana from a rushed return. Yet there is a nervous undertone. Bayindir’s mistake set the tone, and while the manager argues a foul, the broader lesson is decision making under pressure. Supporters will cheer the conviction, but they will crave evidence, clean sheets, crosses claimed, calm feet under an Old Trafford press.

In attack, the message on Hojlund stings. When a manager says Sesko and Hojlund share characteristics, then chooses one, fans understand what comes next. It is elite sport, and ruthlessness is part of the climb, but it also leaves United light if injuries bite. The optimism comes from structure, new patterns and a coach who communicates plainly. The concern comes from timing. Two weeks is a long time in a window, and rivals will move. Arsenal already showed the value of street smarts, grabbing points while below their level. If United can marry Amorim’s principles with sharper execution, the mood swings to excited. If errors persist, that faith in three goalkeepers will be the first pillar questioned.