Ruben Amorim was greeted with an enthusiastic reception from the Old Trafford crowd, and then managed a chaotic victory in his first home game as Manchester United’s sixth manager since Sir Alex Ferguson’s departure. Similar to his five predecessors over the past 11 years, Amorim faced challenges. Under the Europa League lights that illuminated the 6,714 jubilant Bodø/Glimt supporters, this was a typical welcome to the Theatre of Thrills and Spills, as his new team barely secured the win.

As the match concluded, Andre Onana rushed out of his area, slipped, passed the ball to the opponent, and United were fortunate to escape. Moments later, Garancho missed a golden opportunity to make it 4-2. This passage neatly encapsulates United: both for this evening and the challenge Amorim has undertaken. Three points was a pleasing start in front of his own crowd, but his tenure is sure to be filled with numerous bumps and bruises.

In the feverish United soap opera, how Amorim’s 3-4-3 formation will fare is the latest hot subplot. At half-time, the jury was still out, as his team took the lead, conceded twice, then scored a fine Højlund equaliser. However, what preceded this was the same United story of being unable to hold an advantage and being too easy to penetrate.

Bodø/Glimt arrived as Norway’s champions, held a players-coaching staff huddle by their bench, and conceded within 46 seconds. Antony’s opening contribution was to fall over on the right touchline, yet while hapless, the throw-in he conceded led to Garnacho’s opener. Jostein Gundersen stroked possession to Nikita Haik, the goalkeeper dawdled fatally, Højlund harried, fell over, headed the ball forward, and the left wingman tapped into the empty goal.

Quicker than Marcus Rashford’s finish at Ipswich, could United avert the fade that came after this on Sunday? No, was the answer. Amorim’s analysis of that 1-1 draw cited how “we lost the ball too much” so when Mason Mount and Manuel Ugarte did exactly this, the 39-year-old twisted away in disgust. Mount soon offered an unwanted repeat and suddenly those in yellow whirred upfield and if Philip Zinckernagel did not stumble on shooting André Onana’s goal may have been breached.

When Hakon Evjen and Zinckernagel did this they required circa half the time Omari Hutchinson took to register Ipswich’s leveller meaning by this metric Amorim’s United were going backwards – fast. Each goal was too simple. Evjen’s bullet into the top-left corner derived from a hole through United’s middle. In came a pass to this zone, Sondre Brunstad Fet collected, teed up the No 26, and he finished.

Next Tyrell Malacia, in a first United appearance since May 2023, was left a statue as Zinckernagel chased down a long ball and beat Onana. If, moments later, Evjen had not skied, United would stare at a 3-1 deficit. They were as chaotic as throughout Erik ten Hag’s reign. Matthijs de Ligt coughing the ball up to Jens Petter Hauge who gunned forward towards their area symptomatic of the disarray.

So, when Højlund struck as the interval approached this was welcome, but Amorim needed to chat smart at the break to try and shore his men up. Diogo Dalot for Malacia was the Portuguese’s change for a second period featuring, first, Mount crashing the ball off Bodø/Glimt’s frame. Better followed: slick one-touch football propelled Ugarte in on the right and his cross was finished by Højlund in classic predator fashion.

The Dane appeared offside but United did not care. Amorim’s poker-face remained, as did his penchant for a technical area pace. United, who often defended in a four, should have pulled clear via Garnacho but he waited an age to pull the trigger. Now, a triple change from Amorim: Luke Shaw, Amad Diallo and Rashford entered for Lisandro Martínez, Antony and Mount. Then, a little later substitute number five was Casemiro for De Ligt.

The Brazilian took the Dutchman’s middle centre-back berth. The visitors were turned when Shaw found Højlund and the ball was sprayed right in a move that culminated in Diallo (twice) and Fernandes seeing efforts repelled. Rashford, marauding, missed from an angle on the right. Amorim would be relieved at the final whistle if the lead remained. It did - barely - after Onana beat away a late Patrick Berg free-kick.

Source link:   https://www.theguardian.com