Manchester United’s new era under Ruben Amorim began with a frustrating 1-1 draw against Ipswich Town at Portman Road.
Also Read: Ruben Amorim’s Frustration Mounts as Man United Struggle Against Ipswich
Despite taking an early lead through Marcus Rashford, the Red Devils struggled to maintain control, leaving the new manager with much to ponder.
United started brightly, with Amad Diallo combining well with Bruno Fernandes to set up Rashford for a quick opener. However, their momentum quickly faded, and Ipswich gained confidence.
Andre Onana was instrumental in keeping the lead with two outstanding saves in the first half, including a miraculous point-blank block to deny Liam Delap.
Ipswich equalized just before halftime when Omari Hutchinson found space to shoot, with a deflection off Noussair Mazraoui wrong-footing Onana. The second half saw United create sporadic chances through Alejandro Garnacho and Fernandes, but the hosts remained dangerous, with Onana again called into action.
By full-time, Ipswich appeared the more likely team to snatch victory, highlighting United’s disjointed display. The result leaves Amorim with significant work to address the squad’s inconsistency and tactical adaptability.
Player Ratings:
Goalkeeper & Defense
- Andre Onana (9/10): A heroic performance. Made several crucial saves to secure an undeserved point for United.
- Noussair Mazraoui (6/10): Solid and consistent, contributing both defensively and offensively.
- Matthijs de Ligt (6/10): Calm and composed but showed vulnerability when turned.
- Jonny Evans (4/10): Struggled throughout and was replaced by Luke Shaw.
Midfield
- Amad Diallo (5/10): Brilliant assist for the opener but struggled defensively in an unfamiliar wing-back role.
- Casemiro (3/10): A shadow of his usual self. Poor positioning led to Ipswich’s goal, and he was substituted early.
- Christian Eriksen (5/10): Tidy but ineffective. Failed to influence the game significantly.
- Diogo Dalot (5/10): Showed glimpses of attacking intent but was defensively exposed.
Attack
- Bruno Fernandes (4/10): Aside from his involvement in the opener, he had little impact in an unfamiliar forward role.
- Marcus Rashford (4/10): Took his goal well but struggled to make a mark as the central striker.
- Alejandro Garnacho (3/10): Wasteful and indecisive in key moments.
Substitutes
- Manuel Ugarte (5/10): Brought some energy to midfield but lacked precision.
- Luke Shaw (6/10): Provided defensive stability on his return.
- Joshua Zirkzee (5/10): Failed to make an impact.
- Rasmus Hojlund (5/10): A subdued performance.
- Mason Mount (N/A): Entered too late to influence proceedings.
Manager
- Ruben Amorim (5/10): A tough debut. While his substitutions improved the team, the players struggled to adapt to the new 3-4-3 system. Plenty of challenges lie ahead.
