Ruben Amorim appears positive that Manchester United are making progress, despite admitting there is still a very long way to go.

Amorim spoke about the good and the bad he sees before him, particularly highlighting positives in training, as he addressed the media at a press conference ahead of facing Everton in the Premier League in Saturday's early kick-off. The Portuguese admitted there are times when he "doesn't feel" improvement, but others when it is clear just how "capable" this Mancester United team are.

"What I feel is that sometimes I don't feel improvement in the team and then we have some games when it is more difficult, but you feel that we can play, we can create situations," Amorim told reporters.

"That is a good thing. But I think in this moment, when you watch the games, you can see there are more problems than solutions. I think that is clear, but I think, when we play some games, that things are there and we are capable. But we have to be consistent and that’s it.

"It's more important in training, and what I am seeing in training is that they are improving and creating relationships. We are bonding and understanding the way we want to play. Even the sound of the training is different - when we are making an exercise, you feel the sound. People are talking, asking for the ball and giving directions. You can feel it in the environment, we are changing. It's important to use that in the game."

Amorim has lost as many games (9) as he has won from 21 in charge since arriving in November. It's also just four Premier League victories in 14 during that time, with the squad struggling to get to grips with a very specific set of tactics he has tried to implement.

Training has previously been an issue, with Marcus Rashford dropped and ultimately leaving the club over an apparent lack of application behind the scenes, and all sorts of long-standing accusations about a broken culture within a squad low on confidence that bleeds onto the pitch on matchdays. He has occasionally resorted to a shock factor approach to get his message across, which hasn't always gone down well with staff.

Unfortunately for Amorim, while it is clear that Manchester United is a rebuilding project and he cannot be fairly judged until he’s had a pre-season and summer transfer window, pressure on immediate results remains. The Red Devils have slipped to 15th place in the Premier League and are staring down the barrel of a worst league finish since relegation in 1974 unless there is a drastic and consistent upturn in performances.