After 80 seconds, Man United took the lead over Ipswich Town in the late match on November 24. Less than 3 minutes, the Red Devils' enthusiastic fans were cheered by their new coach. However, when the final whistle blew, his debut did not leave a complete impression.
Amorim's courage
However, there were still positive points in United's performance. First of all, it is necessary to mention the spiritual factor, Amorim showed commendable initiative. The 39-year-old brought on both Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund with just over 20 minutes left.
The adjustment was ineffective. The duo only had one shot, but at least showed that Amorim was willing to experiment.
Second, in terms of playing style, the decision to play right winger Amad Diallo at full-back is considered very appropriate. The 22-year-old dribbled and accelerated to open the scoring for the Red Devils. He also handled the defensive duties well when Mazraoui moved into the middle.
Marcus Rashford was another surprise choice in the striker position. He scored to boost confidence in Amorim's first tactical decisions.
However, in the remaining time of the match, United could not create enough opportunities to put Rashford in favorable situations. A shot and 1 touch in the opponent's penalty area said it all.
Amorim needs more time
With a 3-4-3 formation, fans expect a higher pressure from Man United. They played very directly, trying to pass the ball to Garnacho and Rashford as soon as they had the chance.
But this approach will take time to convince. Because the shift from possession-based play to fast and direct ball circulation was a key factor that ruined the plan of predecessor Erik ten Hag.
Previously, part of the reason why the Red Devils could not control the game was because of their fast play, which prevented players from cautiously regaining the ball, and caused many losses. But for Amorim, a more positive aspect is that United have been attacking and proactive.
In the 68th minute, he left Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte to play as central midfielders; while Luke Shaw and Noussair Mazraoui played as wingers. These changes are not really effective and even destabilize United's formation, but it is a sign that the Portuguese coach is willing to experiment and stick to his philosophy.
In fact, Ipswich were the better team. They organized better, played more aggressively in midfield and deserved to win three points. This is just an opponent struggling to avoid relegation in the Premier League, which is proof of how big the task he has to face.
It's hard to change everything in just two training sessions. Fans should be aware that it could take a long time for the whole team to adjust to Amorim's style.
After the November international break, the former Sporting strategist was not able to work with the full squad. In the following weeks, the density of 2-3 matches in 8 days will also make training sessions difficult. The plan to rotate Man United has been outlined but this is not something that can be solved overnight.
Understand that United do not just want titles. They want to return to the top of world football. Although they have had to wait a long time in recent years, with this new captain, they must continue to be patient. There is no other way than to rely on the person the board has put their trust in, Ruben Amorim.
