Ipswich 1 Man Utd 1: Amorim gets reality check in first match as he realises size of job after being dominated by hosts
IT took just 81 seconds for Ruben Amorim to sprinkle a little stardust on Manchester United.
And it took 90-odd minutes for the new old Trafford boss to realise the scale of his task as he attempts to deal with Erik ten Hag’s legacy of plodding mediocrity.
Amorim has changed United’s shape to a 3-4-3 – but he cannot yet alter their lack of elite quality after failing to win a league match for the first time this season.
The Portuguese, who won all 11 of his games at former side Sporting Lisbon, employed Amad Diallo at wing-back and saw him create a second-minute opener for Marcus Rashford, a surprise selection at centre-forward.
But for the vast majority of this match, United were second-best to a newly-promoted Ipswich team which displayed superior desire and no little quality as they earned a point through Omari Hutchinson’s thunderous equaliser.
Amorim can console himself that Sir Alex Ferguson lost at Oxford United in the first match of his epic reign – although he knows he is operating in less patient times.
The new manager reckons he requires two years to prove himself. He is certainly not exaggerating.
United needed a couple of top-drawer saves from Andre Onana to avoid and they remain in the bottom half of the Premier League, a mighty long way from where they need to be.
Amorim had almost four weeks to ponder how to fit his lopsided, under-achieving squad into his 3-4-3 formation and the result – his first United teamsheet – was one few would have predicted.
Rashford was at centre-forward, the ageing duo of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen as a not-so-dynamic duo in central midfield and Diallo at right wing-back.
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There was no place for Manuel Ugarte or Rasmus Hojlund while several long-term injuries had cleared up with Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia and Kobbie Mainoo on the bench.
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Amorim needs A LOT of time on training pitch to fix Man Utd... unfortunately he won't get it, writes Charlie Wyett
IN theory at least, the only way is up for Manchester United, writes Charlie Wyett.
We are nearly a third of the way through this Premier League season and it is still staggering to see United lurking in 12th place.
They have managed just four wins with a goal difference of 0. Only Everton, Crystal Palace and Southampton have scored less.
It is certainly not a false position and a point at Ipswich illustrated the massive job that Ruben Amorim faces.
United’s fans sang the name of their new manager throughout the game.
They also gave the players rapturous applause on the final whistle and although this was an improvement on some of the performances this season, the bar has been set pretty low.
The club’s optimistic supporters will see that their team is only six points off the top four. Ultimately, though, it is difficult to see United even reaching last season’s final position of eighth as they look worse.
United’s patched-up defence will improve – and a three-man formation at the back will help them – but you have to wonder where the goals are going to come from. Marcus Rashford struck after 81 seconds and then went missing for the rest of his 68 minutes on the pitch.
Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee were also introduced in that double change midway inside the second half but added absolutely nothing. What a terrible couple of signings they have proved to be and United’s fans would swap both of them for Ipswich’s Liam Delap.
Amorim did not celebrate the Rashford goal and paced around his technical area throughout looking uneasy.
Each time there was a break in play, he called over players for instructions.
Alejandro Garnacho headed over to the touchline on a couple of occasions while there were also words for Diogo Dalot, Casemiro and Jonny Evans.
Amorim, a manager with infectious enthusiasm, will be hopeful he can get his message across to all of the players in the next few weeks.
But the problem for the Portuguese coach is that this was the first of 10 games in the space of 33 days.
What he really needs are spells on the training ground without a midweek game but he does not have that luxury.
The tonic United needed most was an early goal – especially one with Amorim’s fingerprints all over it – and that is exactly what they got.
Diallo motored down the right, a Ferrari to the tractor of Jens Cajuste, and centred the near post for Rashford to poke past Aro Muric, who showed little positive intent.
It was only Rashford’s second Premier League goal of the season and some justification for Amorim’s decision to play him through the middle – ditto Diallo’s inclusion at wing-back.
If anybody expected United to simply sweep Ipswich aside, then they hadn’t been watching much of Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich.
Man Utd ratings vs Ipswich as Onana saves Amorim from embarrassment in first game as boss
MANCHESTER UNITED began the Ruben Amorim era with a 1-1 draw away at Ipswich.
Marcus Rashford needed just 81 seconds to put the Red Devils in front at Portman Road, tapping home an Amad Diallo cross.
But Ipswich hit back when Omari Hutchinson’s strike flew in via a deflection off Noussair Mazraoui.
And it was the newly-promoted side who looked likelier to get a winner in the second half.
Here is how SunSport’s Charlie Wyett saw the performances of the Man Utd players…
ANDRE ONANA – 7/10
United’s best player. Two key stops to deny Liam Delap but no chance for the deflected Omari Hutchinson goal.
Then delivered an 87th minute save to keep out an effort from Conor Chaplin.
NOUSSAIR MAZRAOUI – 5
Slotted in on the right of the three-man defence but unfortunate with the deflection for the goal.
MATTHIJS DE LIGT – 5
Has been suspect this season and will probably be better suited to a back three although still given a tough time by Delap.
JONNY EVANS – 5
The 36-year-old was targeted by Ipswich for his lack of pace and no surprise he was replaced.
AMAD DIALLO – 6
Did incredibly well to bomb past Jens Cajuste and deliver the cross for Rashford’s early goal but offered little else.
CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN – 5
Some nice touches going forward but too lightweight in this position in front of the back three.
CASEMIRO – 4
Lucky to start ahead of Manuel Ugarte and was really poor.
Struggled throughout before being subbed and could maybe have got a block to the Hutchinson shot.
DIOGO DALOT – 5
Not suited to left wing-back although stayed there when Luke Shaw arrived because the English international replaced Evans in the back three.
BRUNO FERNANDES – 5
Some of his link-up play was fine but United need a captain who can inspire this team and Fernandes is not the man.
Sent a free-kick flashing past the post with 12 minutes left.
ALEJANDRO GARNACHO – 5
Twice called over by Ruben Amorim in the first half for instructions.
Denied by a decent save from Aro Muric 50 seconds into the second half.
MARCUS RASHFORD – 6
Criticised for his basketball trip to New York so to score after 80 seconds was two fingers up at his critics – but did not offer much after that.
Subs
Ugarte (for Casemiro 56 mins) – 6
Shaw (for Evans 56 mins) – 6
Hojlund (for Rashford 67 mins) – 5
Zirkzee ( for Eriksen 67 mins) – 5
Mount (for Garnacho 87 mins) – 5
What came next was an authentic ‘welcome to the Premier League’ for Amorim – a league in which no team rolls over and where referees are still capable of letting games flow.
After a wretched fortnight for the refs, Anthony Taylor was excellent here – refusing to blow up for every half-foul and refusing to dish out yellows every time he awarded a free-kick.
As a result the game flowed and Ipswich got at their Tinseltown visitors.
Sammie Szmodics had a shot pushed away by Andre Onana, Hutchinson sent a free-kick straight at the United keeper and, just before the Ipswich equaliser, the Cameroonian stuck out a hand to make a blinding point-blank stop from Liam Delap.
The leveller arrived when Hutchinson cut inside from the right and unleashed a howitzer which deflected off Noussair Mazraoui into the top corner for the former Chelsea man’s first Premier League goal.
Delap, who personifies Town’s competitiveness was soon shoving Mazraoui into a corner flag off the ball to howls of appreciation from the home support.
United, though, almost scored sooner into the second half than they had in the first when a Bruno Fernandes shot was half-saved by Muric and hacked clear by Cameron Burgess.
Delap was soon threatening again, wriggling free of a trio of United players, feeding Wes Burns, then getting on the end of his cross, only to be denied by the boot of Onana.
United squandered a two-on-one when Alejandro Garnacho delayed his pass to Rashford and Cajuste thwarted the attack.
Amorim had seen enough by then – withdrawing the struggling Casemiro and veteran Jonny Evans in favour of Ugarte and Shaw, for his first United appearance in nine months.
Next, Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee entered the fray, in place of Rashford and Eriksen.
But McKenna’s men were still the more menacing.
When Zirkzee spooned a shot into Row Zed it felt like true testimony to Ten Hag’s hapless recruitment policy.
Fernandes whistled a free-kick just wide but Conor Chaplin forced a late save from Onana as the hosts continued to look the more likely scorers.