The game against Southampton “will teach me more about my players than the last two,” says Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim, as his team look to build on results at Arsenal and Liverpool.

Ruben Amorim believes Thursday's Premier League game at home against Southampton will show him more about his Manchester United team than their recent performances against Liverpool and Arsenal.

After a run of four consecutive defeats, many predicted that United could lose consecutive away games against the league leaders and the Gunners, but they emerged from Anfield with a 2-2 draw before beating Arsenal in the shootout. penalties. looking to reach the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Expectations will now be high on Thursday night when a Southampton team bottom of the table with just six points from 20 games arrive at Old Trafford.

“I think the next game will teach me more about my players than the last two, so I'm very focused on seeing what kind of game we're going to play,” Amorim said.

'We will learn more (on Thursday). There were no expectations for us in the last two games, no one believed in us doing a great performance or winning a game, but now they expect us to win and play well. So I will learn more in this game.”

Against Liverpool and Arsenal, United had to endure significant pressure, looking to hit their opponents on the counter-attack. Against a struggling Saints team at home, Amorim's men will be expected to take the initiative.

Rubén Amorim believes that Thursday's clash against Southampton will tell him a lot about his players

The head coach admitted that aspect of his game is still a work in progress.

“It's different because the most difficult thing about coaching in a team is the way you build with the ball and in the final third the way we play, the way you create a situation,” Amorim said.

“That's what a big team should do very well, but for that we need time to train.” We have been missing goals for a long time, because we don't spend much time with the ball in the final third. We did it against Nottingham (Forest) but we need to improve in that part of the game.

“At the moment, it's okay to play like this, we split the game against Liverpool, but against Arsenal we wait for the match, we wait for the opportunity. In the future you won't be able to play like this and I know it, but we need to build a different way of playing.

'Now we focus on different things and in the future we will focus a lot on that. In this game the fans will expect more and we have to deliver or try. The most important thing is to fight in the game and in the end win it.”

Before going head to head with Liverpool and Arsenal, United had lost heavily at home to Bournemouth and Newcastle, and lost 2-0 to Wolves. Amorim admitted that the difference between those performances and results was a concern for him.

“I'm always worried because during these games we didn't have consistency in performance, in results, so I'm always worried,” he said. “My job is to be worried, but we have to face Southampton in the same way we face Liverpool and Arsenal.

'That's the goal. No more no less, face that game. But understanding that they are different games and that people expect us to win, that changes things. When you have the pressure to win, that's the pressure we want. “Sometimes it's harder to deal with that pressure.”

Amorim's men tied at Anfield before beating Arsenal on penalties in the FA Cup

Meanwhile, Amorim deflected a question about Marcus Rashford's future, with speculation mounting that the 27-year-old is on the verge of leaving the club after falling out of favor.

“I just want to win tomorrow,” Amorim said. “My goal is to win tomorrow, I will choose the players who I think are best to win tomorrow.”