Alan Shearer has firmly reminded Manchester United that they are not a very good team, despite victory over Chelsea last weekend.
Goals from Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro helped the Red Devils to a 2-1 win over the Blues in a dramatic afternoon at Old Trafford.
Chelsea goalkeeper Robert Sanchez was sent off after just five minutes, with United midfielder Casemiro also shown red just before half-time.
It was a much needed victory for Ruben Amorim, just United’s second in five Premier League outings this season.
Shearer was not exactly blown away, though, feeling the work rate and application was good, but the Red Devils are still a long way from being one of the best teams in the Premier League.
Get personalised updates on Manchester United every day
Wake up to find news on your club in your inbox every morning with Metro’s Football Newsletter.
Sign up to our newsletter and then select your team in the link so we can send you football news tailored to you.
‘You’d hope Man United will build from this result,’ Shearer told Betfair. ‘Just because they beat Chelsea who had 10 men, it doesn’t make them a very good team. They’re not. They’re a work in progress.
‘What Amorim can be really pleased with is the attitude and what his players gave him in the second half when they were under huge pressure.
‘They were hanging on for their lives when Chelsea got their goal and you didn’t see anyone not giving their all. That was a big statement – maybe more than the result. It was a big, a needed result but I think, as well as being very grateful for the three points, I think he’ll think about his players, “when I was under the cosh, you actually came out fighting.”
‘Amorim has a much better chance of getting things right when the players are with him.’
The Red Devils have had a tricky start to the season, with their only two defeats coming against Arsenal and Manchester City.
Amorim takes his side to Brentford on Saturday before hosting Sunderland a week later and the start to the season could quickly turn from disappointing to pretty solid if they build on the win over Chelsea.
As Shearer suggested he would be, Amorim was pleased with the efforts of his players in their victory over a Champions League side.
‘We started the game really well, really aggressive. We were so aggressive in the second balls,’ said the manager. ‘We had the sending off with Casemiro, we like to complicate our game always but it was a good day! I felt the urgency, of course the sending off helped us. We had to be more clinical to finish the game off sooner.’
On the three points he added: ‘It is really important because I understand the situation around this club. We cannot forget that we suffer a lot when we are on top.
‘We can lose against Grimsby, we can beat any team. I’m just thinking about the next one. It is really good to win. We need the urgency to win again, that is really important for us.’
Gary Neville was encouraged and cuatiously optimistic after the win, but knows better than to get carried away.
‘I thought they did really well in the game, obviously they were playing against 10 men and it was a little bit nervy in the last 10 minutes,’ he told NBC Sports. ‘But Ruben Amorim, the coach, obviously needed that. It takes a little bit of the pressure off ahead of Brentford and Sunderland.
‘We’re not getting ahead of ourselves, but they could be in a position that they win three on the bounce and things could turn around for him, but it’s still a little precarious.’