The manager of Manchester United, Ruben Amorim, has explained why Victor Lindelof was selected to take a vital penalty in Sunday’s heartbreaking FA Cup loss to Fulham. After Bernd Leno rejected the Swedish defender’s and Joshua Zirkzee’s consecutive spot-kicks, the holders were eliminated in the fifth round.
Calvin Bassey’s header in a hotly contested 1-1 draw was nullified by Bruno Fernandes’ incredible late goal in regulation time, necessitating the shootout. The deciding penalties resulted from neither team being able to make progress in extra time. Expectations were high for another victory at Old Trafford after United defeated Arsenal in a shootout in the third round.
Diogo Dalot, Casemiro, and Captain Fernandes had already converted their penalties before Lindelof and Zirkzee came on. But Raul Jimenez, Sander Berge, Willian, and Antonee Robinson all found the net as Fulham’s spot kicks were too numerous for Andre Onana to stop. Many United supporters questioned the choice to give Lindelof, who has only played 60 minutes of league football this season, such a high-pressure penalty.
Ruben Amorim Explains Lindelof Penalty Decision
The Swede was full of confidence heading into the shootout
In the Red Devils’ training, Linedlof received the fourth penalty shot, giving him the advantage over more aggressive teammates like Noussair Mazraoui, Alejandro Garnacho, and Chido Obi-Martin. Amorim subsequently clarified (see his penalty at 5:03 in the video below):
He took a shot with great confidence. His training is going incredibly well, and he’s scoring goals. The decision was clear.
🗣️ "He was really confident to take a shot, he's training really well, scoring in training…"
Rúben Amorim explains the thinking behind Victor Lindelöf taking Manchester United's third penalty.#MUFC pic.twitter.com/Asbdb2gX3y
— Stretford Paddock (@StretfordPaddck) March 2, 2025
It goes without saying that confidence does not always equate to quality, and United was eliminated from the FA Cup prior to the quarterfinal draw. On March 29, London rivals Crystal Palace visited Fulham.
The Red Devils’ inability to score goals is still their biggest flaw; regular starter Rasmus Hojlund has gone 18 games without scoring in all competitions. Naturally, as long as United keeps losing, more attention will be paid to the summer transfer window.
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