Ruben Amorim has been welcomed to English football with a hard-fought draw away at Ipswich Town. The Red Devils lined up in a fresh 3-4-2-1 system against the Tractor Boys, with the long-maligned Amad Diallo getting a start at right wing while Marcus Rashford played centrally.
In two minutes, United went ahead giving fans something to celebrate as the Erik ten Hag era had not produced many moments of magic in the 2024/25 season. However, the hosts equalised through Omari Hutchinson towards the end of the first half.
Here is what the Portuguese manager had to say about his first official match in charge of Manchester United.
On the attitude of the players: “They tried to do it, that’s the main point. We have a lot to improve, but they tried. This is the first point; the most important point. They were thinking too much during the game, trying to cope with everything we said during training. But it was [just] two trainings. We could win this game, but also Onana did great saves. It’s always tough to play in this league and we will improve in the future.”
On how he would approach games and squad selections going forward: “They are intelligent and they have to believe in that. And they have to believe and remember they are good players, and they have to enjoy, so we will try to do that, giving information, trying to help them. It’s important for me to know the players – what they like to do, what they are capable of doing, and we need time to find that. Today was not a good result, but we will improve in the future.”
On Andre Onana’s incredible performances at Portman Road: “A goalkeeper is so important in one team. When we needed, Onana was there. With the ball, he was very good. He didn’t use all the time long balls – he tried to connect – so it was a great game for Andre.”
On United’s next fixture: “That is the goal [to use the time on the training pitch]. We have to use every minute to work with the team. Everybody has to play with this schedule and we will do that. Everybody is going to play… We have to, all together, try to find ways to win games, to win time and to improve the team.”
Meanwhile, Roy Keane was less than pleased at the outcome of the match, claiming that the squad did not give enough. “We saw the shape of the team but it is the same players and the same problems,” he told Sky Sports.
“We talk about leopards and spots. Lack of goals and a lack of quality in the second half. Ipswich looked the better team. It’s his first game. A lot to take in and it has been a mental week for him [Amorim] but ultimately he will be disappointed.”
