- Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United debut ended in a 1-1 draw against relegation-threatened Ipswich Town at Portman Road
- Marcus Rashford’s early goal wasn’t enough as Omari Hutchinson’s deflected strike secured a point for the hosts
- Despite several saves from Andre Onana, United’s attacking struggles continued, leaving them 12th in the Premier League table
Ruben Amorim’s much-anticipated tenure as Manchester United manager began with frustration as his side settled for a 1-1 draw against newly-promoted Ipswich Town at Portman Road.
Marcus Rashford opened the scoring brilliantly within the first 90 seconds, but United's inability to build on their early lead saw Omari Hutchinson's deflected strike equal the Red Devils before halftime. Despite a good performance, Amorim’s men failed to score another goal, leaving them languishing in 12th place in the Premier League table.
Amorim’s reign seemed to start perfectly as Amad Diallo cut in skillfully through Ipswich’s defence to set up Rashford for the first goal of the game. However, the attacking synergy waned, and United’s season-long struggle in front of goal continued, with just 13 goals in 12 matches.
Ipswich, despite their position in the relegation zone, played with more determination and grew into the game.
Goalkeeper Andre Onana had to produce an early save to deny Cameron Burgess an equaliser before disaster struck for the visitors.
Hutchinson levelled for Ipswich in the 35th minute with a strike from outside the box that took an unfortunate deflection and left Onana rooted to the spot.
The equaliser energised Ipswich, who continued to threaten United’s shaky defence. Onana continued to pull off crucial saves to deny Liam Delap and Conor Chaplin in the second half as Ipswich pressed for a hopeful shock victory.
Despite making several substitutions, Amorim’s side failed to break down Ipswich's defence till the game ended.
Speaking after the match, Amorim acknowledged the challenges of working with the team on short notice,
“We only had two days together, so the players were a little confused, physically, we have to improve to handle high-pressure situations. We lost some balls under no pressure, and that’s something we need to fix.”
The Portuguese manager also urged patience as the team adjusts to his system,
“We need more time to train and adapt to the new ideas. The players are trying, and I see their commitment, but we need to work on controlling the game better,” he said.
“He won't take sh*t,” Man United players warned as Ruben Amorim nears appointment
Previously, TheRadar reported that Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim is in advanced talks to succeed Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford, Manchester United players are bracing for the arrival of a strict new head coach who has quickly gained a reputation for his no-nonsense approach.
According to sources close to the negotiations, key United officials are currently in Lisbon, discussing the backroom staff Amorim intends to bring along.
