Ruben Amorim‘s highly anticipated debut as Manchester United manager was one of the marquee moments of the 2024-25 European season. Known for his tactical philosophy and ability to transform squads, Amorim faced an uphill challenge in his Premier League opener against Ipswich Town. The 1-1 draw left a bittersweet impression, with the Portuguese coach openly criticizing a United player after the match.
United stunned the home crowd by scoring within the first 80 seconds, courtesy of Marcus Rashford. However, the Red Devils failed to sustain their intensity, and Ipswich Town equalized in the 43rd minute through a brilliant strike from Omari Hutchinson. Reflecting on the first-half performance, Amorim pointed out defensive lapses, particularly by veteran defender Jonny Evans.
“If you see the first-half, the number five (Sam Morsy) was always alone, we have to jump on him. Then the number 20, Hutchinson, was always here in the dead space. Jonny Evans should be pressing that guy. But when we don’t have training, it’s hard to tell all the reactions to the players. We had two days. They are confused a little bit and they stay here. If you stay here, you don’t run,” he said to Harry Redknapp on Sky Sports.
Amorim deployed his trademark 3-4-3 system, a formation that brought him great success at Sporting CP, where he famously turned the team into one of Europe’s most formidable sides, highlighted by a 4-0 victory over Manchester City. However, implementing such a system midseason at Manchester United presents its own challenges.
Critics questioned whether Amorim could successfully instill his tactical philosophy in such a short time. The opening match against Ipswich—a team sitting 18th in the league—highlighted the growing pains ahead. Ipswich created numerous scoring chances, with United goalkeeper Andre Onana earning Man of the Match honors for his heroic saves. The performance underscored the time needed for Amorim to embed his ideas, with immediate results unlikely.
In the attempt to adapt and stick as much as possible to Amorim’s tactics, some Manchester United players ended up disorganized, leaving the team exposed to counterattacks. The coach perceived this, and acknowledged the difficulties of implementing a new system with limited preparation.
“My players were thinking too much during the game. You can feel it, they were thinking not just in the ball but where they were supposed to be, and that’s hard with two days. All the team together we were two days,” said to Sky Sports. “It’s a tough match, we lost some balls without pressure, and when you start a game like this, you score one goal and then you have to control the ball, the tempos of the game… We couldn’t do it at the moment, but they really tried,” he added.
While the media has criticized the drastic shift in tactics, suggesting it could harm short-term results, Amorim remains confident in his approach. He stressed the importance of addressing the team’s weaknesses now to ensure future success. “If we try to just win games and don’t risk nothing in this moment, I guarantee next year at the same stage we will have the same problems. We have to address the new idea and try to be better,” he ended.
