For 81 seconds, everything seemed too easy for Ruben Amorim. In his first match as head coach of Manchester United, Marcus Rashford scored and helped him get off to a dream start against Ipswich.
However, Amorim later realized how big the job he had to take on with a final result of 1-1.
A very bright start for the 6th coach tasked with recreating Sir Alex Ferguson's glorious years at Old Trafford. However, that optimism ended with Amorim angrily ordering Joshua Zirkzee, the second-half substitute, to penetrate Ipswich's penalty area rather than move aimlessly.
At that time, the "Red Devils" had given up the lead after a beautiful equalizer in the 43rd minute by Omari Hutchinson. In fact, Kieran McKenna's side have come close to taking the lead on several occasions, but have been blocked by goalkeeper Andre Onana.
While Amorim kept urging his players off the touchline, Zirkzee moved at ease on the pitch. That sums up the problems Amorim has to overcome at Man United.
The Portuguese has a lot to deal with, but when a striker needs to be reminded to try to play in injury time, it shows deep instability at Old Trafford.
Amorim's body language at the end of the draw at Portman Road spoke volumes. Perhaps, 1 point is not enough for him. The number of times the 39-year-old strategist waved his hand to the players to move forward and harshly when they passed back in the final minutes emphasized the determination to win.
Amorim was used to that at Sporting, where he ended a two-decade wait for the club's domestic trophy with two league titles in three years. However, it will take a long time to change the mentality at Man United.
"I know the fans are disappointed but we are changing a lot at the moment, with so many games. We will have to suffer for a long time and try to win, which will take time" - Amorim said after the match.
Amorim's personality and confidence will affect the players. And sooner or later, the best of them will start playing with more freedom and confidence.
While his unconvincing performance against Ipswich prevented Amorim from winning his first, it eventually helped him keep his expectations at a reasonable level. The situation at Old Trafford is clearly not a day-to-day story.
The biggest positive point from the draw against Ipswich was that the Man United players seemed to know what they were required to do in terms of position and responsibility. However, the old problems still exist and can never be fixed in just a few days of training.
