"Trying to be careful with them" - Ruben Amorim explains why he didn't use his options from bench in Manchester United's loss to Spurs

Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has explained his reason for not utilizing his options on the bench during his team's 1-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League on Sunday, February 16. The Red Devils manager made only one substitution in the dying minutes of the clash.

Amorim suffered his eighth league loss of the season courtesy of James Maddison's 13th-minute goal at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Portuguese tactician was forced to name eight academy stars on the bench for the clash after injuries to multiple first-team players.

Victor Lindelof was the only player with Premier League minutes under his belt on the Red Devils' bench. Despite his side being a goal down for a good chunk of the match, Amorim failed to call for reinforcement from the bench until the first minute of stoppage time. 17-year-old forward Chido Obi was handed his Premier League debut as he replaced veteran midfielder Casemiro.

When asked his reason for not utilizing his subs, Amorim explained that he was trying to be careful with the young players and didn't want to change the team's rhythm. He said:

"It is the hardest competition in the world. I am trying to be careful with them. I felt the team was pushing for the goal and I felt I don't want to change. But they will play," Amorim said (as quoted by Utdreport on X).

Manchester United are 15th in the standings with 29 points from 25 matches. They will hope to return to winning ways when they next take on Everton in the league on Saturday, February 22.

---

Manchester United statistics vs Tottenham Hotspur

Manchester United were better defensively than on the offensive during their clash with Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday. The Red Devils recorded a 44% ball possession compared to Spurs' 56%. They attempted a total of 16 shots with only six being on target. Ange Postecoglou's side had 22 shots in the match and seven were on target.

United however won 69% of tackles made during the game, while the Lilywhites won 46% of their tackles. The Manchester club side made 10 interceptions while the North London side made just four interceptions. The goalkeepers from both sides made six saves each.