Ruben Amorim wants consistency across the board from Manchester United after noticing a drop-off when they are not up against their big rivals.

In-between defeating crosstown rivals Manchester City last month and drawing at Premier League leaders Liverpool most recently, United were comfortably beaten by Bournemouth, Wolves and Newcastle.

United begin the defence of their FA Cup crown with a blockbuster third-round visit to Arsenal, then welcome Southampton and Brighton in the league, where they sit 13th, just seven points above the drop.

And Amorim has warned his side it is not enough to only show up on the grandest of stages as the Portuguese demanded the same level of intensity irrespective of the opposition.

“I saw it when the referee finished the game (at Anfield), some of the players were really tired and went down on the pitch and you don’t see it in all the games,” the United head coach said.

“We have to focus on these details. But we need to suffer, we need to run. It’s to prove every day and in every game that you can win it, not just in the final, on a good pitch with a full stadium.

“It’s to win it when the storm is there. Against City and Tottenham (in the Carabao Cup where they lost 4-3), we did very good jobs in that week and then (against Bournemouth), you have to focus again and be really competitive and you feel the team dropped the levels of playing.

“We need to improve on that, not in the big games because I’m not worried about that but to be consistent every day, that is my biggest concern.”

Amorim’s hopes of winning silverware in his first few months at United rest on them retaining the FA Cup – and equalling Arsenal’s national record of 14 titles – or going all the way in the Europa League.

Amorim is aware that Sir Alex Ferguson “saved his job” by winning the 1990 FA Cup and the former Sporting Lisbon boss recognises how significant lifting a trophy in the next few months would be.

“The feeling of winning, that feeling gives you so much confidence. If you win one thing you will believe you can win more,” Amorim said.

“That feeling is addictive; you feel it and it’s really easy to follow that to try to win it again. I think it is important for the confidence of the players.”

Amorim thinks he is edging “closer” to knowing his best side, having frequently rotated his team in the first few weeks of his tenure, pointing out Kobbie Mainoo has been preferred to Casemiro recently.

Amorim has been impressed with the continuing improvement of Mainoo, who has been linked with a shock move away from Old Trafford this month with Chelsea rumoured to be interested.

But Amorim feels the 19-year-old England midfielder has not yet hit his ceiling.

“I think Kobbie Mainoo is improving a lot during these last matches,” Amorim said.

“You guys (in the media) feel that Kobbie Mainoo is the finished product but he is not. He has so much potential to grow up even more.

“He’s really, really good but he can be so much better.”