Ruben Amorim agrees with Erik ten Hag as he denies request from Man Utd stars

Following their victory against Fulham, Manchester United's squad requested a day off but were turned down by manager Ruben Amorim.

United moved up to 12th place in the Premier League after their scrappy 1-0 win at Craven Cottage on Sunday, with Lisandro Martinez scoring from outside the box with a deflected shot. Monday marked Amorim's 40th birthday, and the Fulham result will have no doubt served as an ideal birthday present.

Yet, he didn't fancy doing any gift-giving himself. Speaking to MUTV after the match, Amorim revealed: "They [the players] asked for a day off tomorrow. I didn't give it."

A similar situation unfolded last February under Erik ten Hag's watch, following a loss to Fulham, where he too refused to grant a day off. Back then, United had been on a winning streak before their stumble against the Cottagers, which was their first defeat of 2024, and Ten Hag wasn't prepared to reward his players for losing.

Amorim, on the other hand, appears determined to maintain momentum with the team achieving their second victory of the week, having beaten Rangers 2-1 in the Europa League last Thursday. These successive triumphs mark their first back-to-back wins since mid-December, and just the third time they've done so this season.

"We need to work to improve all the players," Amorim said before sharing his birthday plans: "It will be a fantastic day because we won and I'm going to do what I love in our club," he remarked. "Then, in the end, I will have dinner with my kids."

United will be favourites to extend their winning streak in their upcoming Europa League match against FCSB (formerly known as Steaua Bucuresti) this coming Thursday. Following this, they'll host Crystal Palace at Old Trafford in the Premier