Ruben Amorim explains why he is ‘always worried’ as Man Utd prepare for ‘pressure’ of being expected to beat rock-bottom Southampton

After a promising 2-2 draw at Liverpool in the Premier League and a penalty shootout win away to Arsenal in the FA Cup, United head coach Amorim wants his team to maintain their high standards when they host bottom-of-the-table Southampton on Thursday. He admitted maintaining a consistently high level is a constant "worry" of his and that the Red Devils need to handle being favourites against the Saints.

He told reporters: "Yeah, I’m always concerned because we didn’t have during these games the consistency in performance in result, so always worried, it’s my job to be worried but we have to face Southampton in the same way we faced Liverpool and Arsenal, that is the goal. Not more, not less, face that game. Understand there are difficult games and people expect us to win. That changes things, when you have the pressure to win that is the pressure we want. Sometimes it’s hard. Against Arsenal and Liverpool, nobody was expecting us to beat those teams but now we have to be prepared for that pressure, we need that pressure as a team and face the game the right way."

Despite their positive recent results, United are 14th in the Premier League and Amorim has won just four of his 13 games in charge so far. So a victory against the league's basement side is badly needed.

This match is the first of three home games in a row, with United hosting Brighton on Sunday at Old Trafford in the Premier League before Rangers visit them on Thursday, January 23, in the Europa League.