Manchester United have developed a worrying trend of collapsing after the half-time break.
There have been clear signs of progress at Manchester United under Ruben Amorim this season, but the Portuguese head coach admits that there are still visible flaws in performances.
One of Amorim’s biggest concerns will be that United have not won a single second half in the Premier League this season.
The Red Devils tend to start games brightly but fade after the break. In the recent draws to Tottenham and Nottingham Forest, United conceded twice in quick succession in both matches.
Considering United have no European distractions this season and all focus is on the Premier League, it is something Amorim needs to figure out quickly.
Ruben Amorim on Man Utd’s second-half struggles
United currently sit seventh in the Premier League table after 11 matches, but they could be so much higher if they stopped throwing away points in the second half of matches.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 5 |  TottenhamTottenham | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 19 | 10 | 9 | 18 |
| 6 |  Aston VillaAston Villa | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 13 | 10 | 3 | 18 |
| 7 |  Manchester UnitedManchester United | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 19 | 18 | 1 | 18 |
| 8 |  LiverpoolLiverpool | 11 | 6 | 0 | 5 | 18 | 17 | 1 | 18 |
| 9 |  BournemouthBournemouth | 11 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 17 | 18 | -1 | 18 |
In a recent interview with the Premier League, Amorim was asked about United’s second-half problems, and he explained why he thinks it has become an issue.
“I think we lose intensity,” Amorim said.
“We’ve had problems in certain matches when we’ve lost, I believe twice, Casemiro, due to pain. Harry Maguire, the same thing. These are key players, not only for their way of playing, their experience, but also on set pieces, and people don’t take that into consideration.
How would you rate Manchester United’s season after 11 Premier League games?
“When we’re leading, we don’t press in the same way and we’ve seen that against Brighton. It’s a combination of factors.
“We think about not conceding a goal when our mindset should rather be to want to kill the game. So I think it’s mental, but also physical, and we need to improve in that area.”
Man United injury record should help intensity
Heading into a hectic winter schedule, the intensity in the Premier League will only increase in the coming weeks.
United have so far had the advantage of only playing once a week, but that will change over the winter with eight games in the next 36 days.
Thankfully, Amorim has managed United’s fitness and injury record well, meaning he has a near full squad available.
How Man Utd’s stars rated when Ruben Amorim’s side beat Everton 4-0 in 2024/25
READ MORE: Ruben Amorim says Jim Ratcliffe has done something ‘massive’ for his Man Utd team this season
Benjamin Sesko is out for up to a month and is expected to miss around five matches, but with Lisandro Martinez returning and no extra injuries over the November break, the squad is in a healthy spot.
It is now up to Amorim and his players to outrun and outwork opponents in the second half to avoid any more late collapses.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
