Manchester United

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Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim, speaking to TNT Sports: "In the end it is good. A very difficult game, a game of two halves.

"They did a very good job Southampton. Creating space in-between the lines. Number 20 [Kamaldeen Sulemana] with a lot of space. We had a lot of difficulty to stop that player.

"When they lose their physicality, we find the space to use. The feeling is we have so much to do - the team is really tired.

"It was a win, it was good - let's continue."

On Amad Diallo: "Even in the first half, every time Amad gets the ball he can push the ball.

"He pushes the other team into the final third - that is really important. We didn't have a good game, but at this moment, winning is the most important thing."

On lack of enthusiasm: "It seems like a lack of enthusiasm. [Manuel] Ugarte is late and [Kobbie] Mainoo is late, Bruno Fernandes going outside when the ball is inside.

"One transition and Yoro cannot catch the guy - small things push the team behind, and then we get nervous.

"Today was not a lack of enthusiasm, it was a lack of control in the game."

On players suited to his system: "They are not suited to playing like that. With the ball, you saw, we had some patterns."

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Only Wayne Rooney (21y 4d v Bolton in October 2006) has scored a Premier League hat-trick for Manchester United at a younger age than Amad Diallo against Southampton (22y 189d).

Diallo is now the Red Devils' youngest Old Trafford hat-trick scorer in the Premier League.

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Manchester United's Amad Diallo speaking to TNT after scoring a 12-minute hat-trick: "In football you have to believe. We believed until the end and are very happy to win this game. We drew with Arsenal and Liverpool so the confidence was there. We are very happy."

On where this week ranks after scoring his first senior hat-trick and signing a new contract: "Maybe one of the best weeks in my life. I am very happy for this win. This team deserved to win this game so I am very happy."

On why United left it so late to click into gear: "We know we have quality players in this team. We need sometimes to be more hungry in the final third. Today we showed at the end we were the best team. I am so happy for the win today because this team deserves it.

"I am ready to play every position where the manager likes to put me. I am ready to fight for this club. I am so happy to play where the manager wants me to play and I am so happy to score a hat-trick."

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Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

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Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho has been the subject of speculation about a move away from Old Trafford during the current transfer window after reports in Italy claimed his representatives have met with Napoli.

United officials have dismissed talk of a €60m (£50.58m) transfer fee, clearly in the belief it would take a much higher sum to persuade them to sell the Argentina forward despite their tight financial position.

And, speaking ahead of tonight's Premier League encounter with bottom club Southampton at Old Trafford, United head coach Ruben Amorim said he sees Garnacho as part of his plans for the future.

"That is clear," he said. "He has talent."

And the positive is Amorim feels Garnacho is adapting to his system, that uses inside forwards rather than the wide attacking players, which the 20-year-old has previously been used as.

"I think he changed the way he sees himself," said Amorim.

"He's finding the best way to play in this system and is improving during training.

"He improves a lot in the recovering position when he doesn't have the ball. But doing that, sometimes he's not in the right place to make transitions like he was in the past."

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Manchester United faced Liverpool and Arsenal in the space of a week and looked good in both games.

But they are inconsistent and question remain over why they can perform against some of the bigger teams and not against the ones in the middle or at the bottom of the table.

It seems to me that they prefer to play as underdogs. There was little expectation of them getting a result at Anfield and it is like the players prefer to go out and play when there is less pressure. This was the same at Arsenal on Sunday.

Since Ruben Amorim's arrival, they have been defensively stronger and Lenny Yoro and Matthijs de Ligt have bedded in. De Ligt in particular made several key blocks to deny the Gunners.

Yoro is also only 19 years old and I think he is doing well considering he has moved to the Premier League, suffered an injury and then had to navigate his way back into the squad.

They are well supported by the experienced Harry Maguire. It has been a difficult few seasons for Maguire but he is showing real leadership and solidity at the back under Amorim.

That is huge for United going forward, given they have triggered his one-year contract extension.

They just need to be scoring more and that is not just down to the strikers. Goals have to come from all over the pitch.

Nedum Onuoha was speaking to BBC Sport's Katie Stafford

I have a lot of admiration for Manchester United's performance in their FA Cup win against Arsenal, especially to grind it out with 10 men for an hour after Diogo Dalot was sent off.

But these next three games, at home against Southampton, Brighton and then Rangers, are a very different test for them compared to their trips to Emirates Stadium and Anfield in the past week.

I do not want to devalue what United did against Arsenal or Liverpool but they were games where the expectation was not on them to get results.

We know United are good on the counter-attack away from home, but against Saints at Old Trafford the onus is on them to take the game to the opposition.

That is exactly where they have been struggling recently and, like I said on 606 on Sunday night, it would be just like Manchester United to be flat, find things difficult, and drop more points.

Southampton under Ivan Juric are very different to the way they played under previous boss Russell Martin because most of the time they just lump it forward now, and they are far more direct.

Saints may come into this game with a bit of confidence after beating Championship side Swansea in the FA Cup, ending a run of 12 games without a victory that went back to the start of November.

I still think United will find a way to win, but I am not so sure it will be a completely routine one.

I loved the way they defended against Arsenal and I thought it was quite pointed from Ruben Amorim when he came out afterwards and talked about that desire aspect.

He was speaking about traits which you would hope were pretty basic traits for any team to have - that ability to fight and scrap for a result.

United have shown they can do that part. Now they have to show their quality too.

Sutton's prediction: 2-0

Read the full predictions and have your say here

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Manchester United are unbeaten in their past 15 Premier League games against Southampton since a 1-0 home loss in January 2016.

Saints lost 13 of their first 14 Premier League away games against United but have since lost on just three of their past 10 league visits to Old Trafford.

Napoli are set to join the race to sign 27-year-old England and Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford. (Sun), external

Napoli are also confident of signing Alejandro Garnacho, 20, from Manchester United and have offered the Argentina winger a five-year contract. (Il Mattino - in Italian), external

However, the Serie A side will face competition from Tottenham for Garnacho. (Football Transfers), external

Manchester United have held talks with several clubs, including Real Betis, as they attempt to offload 24-year-old Brazil winger Antony this month. (Sun), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Thursday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

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In the final part of our interview with Nani, he explained he would potentially be interested in managing a club at some point in the future but that he has his academy for talented youth players just outside Lisbon in Fernao Ferro.

"I think this is another god gift that I can be involved and give knowledge that I built all these years in many clubs," he said. "I feel like I can help the kids for the future and motivate them to get better as people and players. I want to take kids from the street and give them good examples and help my community."

He is also an active part of the ownership group for promotion-chasing fourth division side Sintrense, who recently faced Porto in the Portuguese cup, the Taca de Portugal.

"We decided to get involved in this club as it is a great, historical place where people live for football," he said. "The team is built to achieve promotion by me and my business partner. This is a big opportunity to grow both a club and a city but it is a humble team, which we are building slowing through hard work."

Finally, Nani is keen to return to Old Trafford - having not visited the club since watching the 2-1 Europa League win over Barcelona in February 2023. He would relish watching a match managed by his former team-mate Ruben Amorim.

"Amorim was a very calm, disciplined professional, who wanted to work and do everything correctly when I played with him," Nani said.

"He wanted to understand what the coach was doing and hearing about his success he had at small Portuguese clubs, I thought he deserved his chance at Sporting and I think he is the right man for Manchester United. He just needs time to build his own team and people he trusts. The problem for United is that they have had many of the same players for five years.

"They keep changing coaches but you need to understand what the problem actually is to fix it. It's not just clicking your fingers and it will get better. It may have also been better to give him a pre-season.

"But I think now is the time to be a little bit patient and we will see it improve by the start of next season."

Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Nani's legacy is underrated

He won 17 trophies, while playing 730 matches in eight different countries.

He says part of the reason for his longevity is the model he saw during his time in the Manchester United dressing room.

"I had a lot of inspiration from other players; Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Rio Ferdinand," he said. "They kept playing until they were old, which was motivation. I didn't care if people said I wasn't the same player.

"I could have played even longer, for several more years because I didn't have injuries. I thank god for my genetics and health. I still play football - I show up to friendly games with non-professional people and they are shocked but I have fun and enjoy with my friends and family. I like to show I can still match the kids."

"I just made the decision to stop. It's a new generation and it's not the same. The mentality of this new generation is not the same. I appreciated the club from my city a lot."

Nani was also a key part of the Portugal team that won the European Championship in 2016, captaining his side after Cristiano Ronaldo got injured in the final against France. That result ranks as the country's greatest achievement in international men's football.

All of the starters in Paris have continued playing football, with former Real Madrid defender Pepe the first to retire, aged 41.

According to Nani, who is just the second of that side to leave the sport, the professionalism and work ethic of talisman Cristiano Ronaldo rubbed off on his team-mates.

"Cristiano is a big, big example," he added. "In the last few years, he was motivating everyone to continue to play because he's a player who is doing great for so many years. So you then continue to motivate yourself.

"I always knew that he would play until he can't play anymore because he has a lot of ambition and love. We have a group where we send each other messages and enjoy each other's achievements."

Henry Brownsey
BBC Sport journalist

After seven years at Manchester United, Nani left in 2014, a year after helping them to their 20th and most recent Premier League title.

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It was Nani's cross against bitter rivals Manchester City in February 2011 that set up Wayne Rooney for one of the most memorable goals in Premier League history.

That 2010-11 Premier League season was Nani's most productive for the club, scoring nine goals and registering 17 assists.

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In October 2010, he was also involved in one of the most controversial goals in Premier League history.

Tottenham goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes rolled the ball out for a free-kick after Nani had handled the ball in their box, but the referee did not penalise Nani for it, and the winger rolled the ball into an empty net.

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In the summer of 2009, Nani's club and international team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo departed for £80 million - a world record transfer fee. That season, United finished second, one point behind Chelsea.

One of Nani's most memorable goals that season was a magical run against Arsenal, beating a number of defenders before forcing goalkeeper Manuel Almunia to palm it into his own net.

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In his first season at the club, he played 41 games and helped the club win the Champions League, Premier League and Community Shield.

He scored in both the Champions League final and Community Shield's penalty shootouts.

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He was only 20 when he signed in the summer of 2007 from Sporting.

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Nizaar Kinsella
BBC Sport football news reporter

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Former Manchester United winger Nani has decided to retire amid personal tragedy but told BBC Sport he still has optimism for the future.

Nani, 38, moved to his hometown club, Estrela da Amadora, in the summer - a move which represented, in his own words, his 'last dance' - a reference taken from the Michael Jordan docu-series on Netflix.

But his focus quickly switched to caring for his father Domingos Antonio Cunha David, who passed away in November.

"I was already thinking about retiring but my ideas and feelings changed, because of the love and passion I have for this sport," Nani told BBC Sport's Nizaar Kinsella. "This was an opportunity to play for my people in Portugal and it sounded like a great idea to give them the last dance.

" But a lot of things have happened in my life, including my father passing away a few months ago so it helped me make this decision early. I spent some difficult months visiting him in hospital and trying to make him stay with us but it was not possible.

"I felt after that moment that I was ready to make this big decision in my life because I have a lot of other opportunities as well. I have opened a new academy to help top youngsters develop their talents and inspire them to follow their dreams. That made it much easier to make this decision."

• Not a Manchester United fan? Find and follow your club here

Nani joined Manchester United from Portugese side Sporting in June 2007 and went on to play 230 times for the club, scoring 41 goals.

His time at Old Trafford was successful, winning the Champions League in his first season, plus four Premier League titles and two League Cups in eight seasons.

Nani's standout campaign with United was 2010-11 when he was named the club's players' player of the year, named in the PFA's Premier League team of the year, and registered a league-high 14 league assists.

At international level, Nani scored 23 goals in 112 caps - and won Euro 2016.

Alex Turk
Fan writer

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The rocky start to life at Manchester United for Ruben Amorim was predictable, given the mess he had to pick up represented shattered glass between a football match every few days.

Amorim would have forgotten what defeat felt like at the height of his self-built empire at Sporting. He will remember now.

However, the arrival of 2025 has offered a welcome second New Year's present after his family joined him in Manchester on 27 December.

Amorim finally has time on the training pitch. A week before Liverpool. A week before Arsenal. United harvested positive results from both.

• Not a Manchester United fan? Find and follow your club here

The Portuguese tactician inherited a plethora of problems he had to fix at Old Trafford upon his arrival in November. United's new boss is already addressing one of the biggest.

Erik ten Hag's domestic cup pedigree was undisputed. He won 19 of his 21 such matches in charge, lifting the Carabao Cup and FA Cup in two years (did he mention that?).

But the Dutchman simply could not set up his team to consistently get results away from home - especially against United's biggest rivals.

The Red Devils travelled to 'Big Six' opposition 10 times under Ten Hag's leadership. They did not return to M16 with a win once, losing seven and drawing three.

Amorim has been in the job for two months with a squad including many who will not last in his rebuild and has conjured up victories at Manchester City and Arsenal, while also avoiding defeat at Liverpool.

He did not need long to win over a fanbase starved of optimism. A warm demeanour mixed with brutal realism from the moment he landed sparked hope.

A point at Anfield - that c(sh)ould have been three - and an FA Cup scalp at Emirates Stadium has turned hope into confidence that better days are ahead.

Find more from Alex Turk at Stretford Paddock, external

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Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim says his team needs time to "build a different way of playing".

Since Amorim's arrival in November, the Red Devils have impressed most in away games against big sides - drawing at Anfield and winning 2-1 at Etihad Stadium in the Premier League before beating Arsenal on penalties in the FA Cup.

On Thursday United host rock-bottom Southampton, a game in which Amorim says his players "have to deliver".

"The most difficult thing to train in one team is the way you build with the ball and in the final third the way you create situations," the United boss said in his pre-match news conference.

"That is what a big team should do very well and for that we also need time to train. We have had for a long time a lack of goals.

"We don't spend a lot of times during games in the last third with the ball - we did it against Nottingham Forest but we need to improve in that part of the game.

"I understand in this moment it is OK to play like that against Liverpool and Arsenal - against Arsenal we waited for the opportunity but in the future you cannot play like that and I know that but we need time to build a different way of playing.

"In the future we are going to focus a lot on that."

The visit of Saints could derail the momentum built by United with their last two positive results and Amorim believes it will be a batter match to learn about his squad.

"This next game will teach me more about my players than the last two," he added.

"There is no expectation in the last two games. Fans will expect more tomorrow."

Simon Stone
Chief football news reporter

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There has to be an element of apprehension for any coach ahead of a game.

They can have gone through all scenarios in fine detail with their players but in the end, once the game starts, their effect is minimal.

That is why Ruben Amorim admitted it is his "job to be worried" before Manchester United's Premier League encounter with Southampton.

He has seen his side win at Manchester City, draw at Liverpool and beat Arsenal in the FA Cup despite playing with 10 men for an hour. In modern parlance, it shows United can 'suffer' when the going gets tough and come out on top.

What Amorim has not seen is his side controlling a game. It is something they have struggled with virtually since Sir Alex Ferguson retired. It has always felt they are more effective playing on the counter-attack.

Amorim wants something different. Moreover, he knows United have to be something different if they are to compete for the biggest prizes.

The former Sporting boss says he will learn more about his team over the remainder of this week than he did over the past couple of games.

That is because it will tell him a lot about the amount of work he has to do before he can truly get United pointing in the right direction again.

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has been speaking to the media before Thursday's Premier League game at home to Southampton (20:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Amorim said his side "have to deliver" against the league's bottom team: "This next game will teach me more about my players than the last two. There was no expectation in the past two games. Against Arsenal, we waited for the opportunity. In the future we can't play like that and I know that. Fans will expect more tomorrow."

• Amorim shut down questions on the future of Marcus Rashford: "I just want to win tomorrow. My focus is to win tomorrow, I will choose the players that I think are best to win the game tomorrow. I am just focused on that."

• On selection dilemmas: "A lot of players I had to think [about] this week. Toby [Collyer] is training really well. He has a lot of pace and he likes to learn so is one more option."

• On the pressure of being United boss: "Of course, I feel the pressure of this club, but in this moment I don't feel that pressure because in the past years we didn't win the league. If you followed this club in the past, if you don't win the league one year, you must win it the next year."

• Therefore, he wants to channel expectations: "We need to bring that pressure to us. We need to win titles and games in this moment. When you have the pressure to win, that is the pressure we want."

• Amorim said he is "always concerned" when there is inconsistency in performances and results: "It's my job to be worried but we have to face Southampton in the same way we faced Liverpool and Arsenal. Not more, not less."

Follow all of Wednesday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Full commentary of Man Utd v Southampton on BBC Radio 5 Live from 20:00 GMT on Thursday