Ruben Amorim says Manchester United must start playing better on the road as they head to Sean Dyche's Nottingham Forest seeking only their second away victory of the season.
The Red Devils arrive at the City Ground buoyed by a three-match winning run, with Old Trafford triumphs against Sunderland and Brighton bookending a first victory at Liverpool since 2016.
But that memorable Anfield triumph represents United’s only away win of a season that has seen defeats at Manchester City and Brentford compound a humiliating Carabao Cup exit away to Grimsby.
Amorim says United need to be better in a variety of aspects as they prepare to head to Forest, who have won the sides’ last three Premier League meetings and recently appointed their third manager of the campaign.
The Portuguese manager collected his first Premier League win when overcoming new boss Dyche’s Everton outfit 4-0 last December and says he "more or less" know what lies ahead as he seeks an away upturn.
"I watched the last game (back)," Amorim said of facing Forest on the one-year anniversary of his appointment as United manager.
"It was one of the first ones here that we won and we were so lucky in that game. You look at the result and it was not that result. It should not be that result.
"I watched (Forest) against Porto, against Bournemouth. The style of play is similar, different characteristics.
"I watched one game we did in pre-season with Sporting to try and understand how we played in that game, and it’s similar.
"He can change some characteristics of the players with the talent that they have, especially with (Morgan) Gibbs-White, (Elliot) Anderson, (Callum) Hudson-Odoi. Very good players.
"So, we need to be prepared for a different game. Against Brighton we had space to play. We are not going to have that space.
"We need to understand we are not being the same team away and at home, so we need to improve the way we control the environment.
"Every tackle is a big moment for the opponents’ fans, so we need to play better away. We are prepared for a very tough match."
Amorim may well be tempted to stick with the same side that beat bogey team Brighton last weekend, when Bryan Mbeumo’s second of the day wrapped up a 4-2 victory.
The summer signing linked up well with Amad Diallo down the right and that bond extends off the field, but the pair are soon set to miss a chunk of time due to the Africa Cup of Nations.
"We have time to suffer with that," Amorim said of the Cameroon and Ivory Coast internationals, who are set to join Morocco’s Noussair Mazraoui at the tournament.
"We are going to struggle a little bit, we already knew. It’s going to be an opportunity (for others) because when I watch the training, there are players that should be playing.
"But it’s hard with one game to take some players from the team because they are doing well, also in the training and in the games.
"Other players are going to have the opportunity to help us, they are understanding the way we want to play.
"If we are improving on that, the change of characteristics are not going to change the idea or the momentum of the team, but let’s use Amad and Bryan in these games and then see in January."
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