Ruben Amorim served up a plate of humble pie and admitted Manchester United would “suffer for a long period” after a 1-1 Premier League draw at Ipswich on his debut as head coach.
Amorim enjoyed the perfect start when Marcus Rashford poked the visitors ahead after 81 seconds at Portman Road following excellent play by makeshift right wing-back Amad Diallo.
The 39-year-old would have expected United to kick on, but the opposite occurred as Ipswich roared back and claimed a deserved leveller via Omari Hutchinson’s deflected 43rd-minute strike.
In the end the visitors were indebted to goalkeeper Andre Onana, who produced two outstanding saves either side of half-time to deny Liam Delap from close-range and ensure they did not taste defeat on Amorim’s big day.
While the former Sporting Lisbon boss was happy with the effort of his players, especially in his favoured 3-4-3 system for the first time, he provided a damning assessment of their immediate prospects.
“It is hard to expect anything now. It is like not a surprise but you have to see it in the game. That is why I was a little bit anxious, because you cannot understand what will happen in the game. I felt that,” Amorim reflected.
“What I understood today is that they are trying, they are really trying. They stay in the positions, they receive information and they try to use it in the game. That is very important.
We are going to suffer for a long period and we will try to win games. This will take time
“Even in the difficult moments, I felt they were doing the things we said for them to do.
“I know it is frustrating for the fans, but we are changing so much in this moment with a lot of games. We are going to suffer for a long period and we will try to win games. This will take time, but I know we have to win games.
“We could lose if it was not (for) Onana. We have to understand that and think and be pragmatic that these guys had two days training to change so much.”
The early big calls by Amorim paid off as Diallo, in an unorthodox wing-back role, burst forward past Jens Cajuste’s lunging tackle and set up Rashford, who had been preferred down the middle over Rasmus Hojlund.
Something to build on for Ruben's Reds 🧱#MUFC || #IPSMUN pic.twitter.com/GuzuP6KrHW
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) November 24, 2024
Christian Eriksen fizzed an effort wide soon after but Ipswich enjoyed the better of the first half and after Onana produced a miraculous save to deny Delap – following a Leif Davis pass – Town got their reward when Hutchinson turned Casemiro and his left-footed strike deflected in off Noussair Mazraoui.
A frantic start to the second period, where Onana denied Delap again after he produced a back flick to Wes Burns’ cross, was followed by a lull before late chances for both teams were squandered as it finished all square in Suffolk.
Amorim added: “We started very well but then we should have more possession with the ball.
“When we make a new structure and you are so clear on that, they need time to have some fluidity in the game. I felt that but it is two trainings (sessions after the international break) and they did OK.”
What also left an impression on Amorim was a buoyant Portman Road.
“The atmosphere, you are lucky guys,” he said with a smile.
“You have the best, by far, the best league in the world and you see this every weekend, but to tell you the truth, when the game started, it is the same thing since the (Portuguese) third division, I am so focused on the game and I am playing with my players inside the pitch.”
Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna, who used to manage United’s Under-18s side, felt his newly-promoted team could have beat his old club and paid tribute to Onana’s sensational two saves to deny Delap.
“I thought it was his head to be honest, but if he’s saved that from that range, it’s an incredible save,” McKenna admitted.
🗣️ "Lots of good things and another point."
— IPSWICH TOWN (@IpswichTown) November 24, 2024
Kieran McKenna's full interview following #IPSMUN is now available on TownTV. ⤵️
“The save in the second half was probably a big one. I’ve not seen it back but that was maybe the clearest chance in the second half, so that’s a really good save.
“We probably had the better chances, but it was an even game.
“We certainly felt we could have won it but there is big positives in how we played.”
