It was evidently too good to be true. Or to endure. When the stadium clock showed 82 seconds, the Ruben Amorim era at Manchester United was ignited. The new manager had placed his trust in Marcus Rashford in the No 9 position, and it was United’s enigmatic star who scored, putting them ahead. Rashford was energetic from the start, eager to prove a point. However, this initial burst was followed by a gradual retreat by United for the rest of the first half.
The formation was different, with United adopting Amorim’s signature 3-4-2-1, but the players remained the same, along with many of the frustrations inherited from Erik ten Hag’s tenure. It’s not Amorim’s fault. Ipswich dominated before the interval, and the outstanding Omari Hutchinson scored the goal they deserved with a shot from distance that deflected off Noussair Mazraoui. After Kieran McKenna’s team secured their first Premier League win of the season at Tottenham before the international break, this felt like a point gained for them.
For United, however, it was a different story. After all the hype and anticipation surrounding Amorim’s arrival, it was time for United to show some optimism. They improved slightly in the second half but not significantly. This transformation will take time, something everyone knows, especially Amorim. United had moved up one place in the table on Saturday without even playing, a sign, the club’s supporters hoped, of Amorim’s magic. There was always going to be intense scrutiny on his first starting XI and all the tactical nuances.
Amorim had mentioned the need to “adapt some players” because he didn’t have the right profiles for his three-at-the-back system, resulting in a few mismatches, notably the left-footed attacking midfielder Amad Diallo at right wing-back. Amorim didn’t have three fit specialist centre-halves—four were out with injuries—so Mazraoui, a full-back, was on the right of the back three. Casemiro and Christian Eriksen in central midfield didn’t exactly signal a revolution. Or pace and intensity. Manuel Ugarte was initially left out.
Diallo made the goal, showcasing his skills. He swiftly moved up the right wing, after a give-and-go with Bruno Fernandes, and, having evaded a tackle from Jens Cajuste, his low cross was perfectly timed for Rashford, who had made his run. The travelling United fans chanted Amorim’s name after just 30 seconds. For the next couple of minutes, they repeated it in a loop.
Ipswich stabilized. It was evident that Hutchinson had the upper hand over Casemiro and Jonny Evans, who played on the left of United’s back three. Hutchinson, in the right-sided No 10 role, was sharp with his turns and very quick. Amorim was a constant presence at the edge of his technical area. This is what on-the-fly coaching looks like, and it must have alarmed him that United sank deeper and deeper in the first half. They tried to hurt Ipswich with long diagonal passes into the channels, but it was the home team that controlled the midfield.
Inspired by Hutchinson, Ipswich grew in confidence and it was no surprise when they equalized. The goal had been coming; André Onana was busy in the United goal. He had pushed away a first-time hit from Sam Szmodics in the 11th minute, but the big save came in the countdown to half-time as Ipswich raised the tempo. Leif Davies stepped inside Diallo with ease and set up Liam Delap, who put the ball on a plate for him. Eight yards out, Delap struck it hard, only for Onana to make a big right-hand save, reminiscent of Schmeichel.
United’s reprieve was short-lived. It was Hutchinson again, checking away from Casemiro on the right-hand edge of the area, his quick feet on display. His curling shot deflected off Mazraoui’s head, deceiving Onana and finding the far top corner. United pressed more aggressively after the restart, although they might have conceded when Delap outsmarted Matthijs De Ligt and surged through the middle. De Ligt looked slow. Delap went right to Wes Burns and sprinted to meet the cross, his spectacular flick kept out by Onana.
Amorim made changes, swapping Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho’s roles in the No 10 positions. He brought on Luke Shaw at left centre-half for his first appearance of the season, instructing him to stay close to Hutchinson. Ugarte replaced Casemiro. Garnacho had tested Arijanet Muric from a tight angle at the start of the second half from a Fernandes pass. There was a moment on 54 minutes when Garnacho led a break with Rashford available inside for the pass, Cajuste the only Ipswich defender. Garnacho looked for Rashford; Cajuste made a crucial interception.
Amorim continued to search for a solution, introducing Rasmus Højlund for Rashford and bringing on Joshua Zirkzee in the right-sided No 10 role, swapping Garnacho back and dropping Fernandes into midfield. Ipswich ran out of steam and ideas. Hutchinson was silenced. Did United have a late punch? The answer was no. Fernandes curled a free-kick inches wide, but there was little else. It could have been worse if the Ipswich substitute, Conor Chaplin, had shot either side of Onana from a cross by another replacement, Jack Clarke. Onana stood tall.
Source link: https://www.theguardian.com
