Manchester United were held to a 1-1 draw in Ruben Amorim’s first game in charge.
Ruben Amorim‘s first Manchester United match ended in a draw, which was disappointing, especially considering the euphoric way it started, going 1-0 up after two minutes.
There was a lot to unpack from the 1-1 draw at Ipswich, but the main takeaway is that United are a work in progress, and the players have to catch up.
We took a look at the winners and losers from the new head coach’s opening game. Andre Onana is not included, as his position as undisputed first choice was never in doubt.
Winners
Our picks for the four winners from United’s opening game under Ruben Amorim…
Amad Diallo
22-year-old Amad was selected in the wing-back role, and there was a lot for him to contend with defensively.
This did not blunt his attacking edge, with Amad providing his third assist of the season after just two minutes.
Amad was selected for the full 90, impressing at both ends with a disciplined defensive display, and he was praised by Ruben Amorim after the match.
Amad also finished only second to Onana in the fan voting for man of the match.
The wing-back role is crucial to Amorim’s system, and this was a big show of trust from him to select Amad there.
Noussair Mazraoui
Is there anything Noussair Mazraoui can’t do? Add centre-back to the list of positions the Moroccan defender can play.
Mazraoui was rock solid, comfortable receiving possession from Andre Onana, and ended up having more touches than any player on the pitch.
He might end up playing more at wing-back and shunting Amad further forward, but if Amorim sees him as a centre-back in his system, that will work just fine too.
Amorim wants his players to be versatile, and Mazraoui stepped up in the perfect way to show what he is capable of.
Marcus Rashford
One of the big calls Ruben Amorim made was to select Marcus Rashford as striker. He scored after just two minutes, and it looked a masterstroke.
It got a lot more difficult for Rashford afterwards, his goal was his only shot at goal, and he was substituted after 68 minutes. Yet strikers are defined by hitting the net, and Rashford did what he asked to do.
Amorim must work out how to get his side being more creative, and while unclear if Rashford is the long-term answer, he did enough to earn another chance in the role, even if there is rotation in midweek.
- READ MORE: Who is Marcus Rashford? Inside the life of Man Utd’s book-writing, government-tackling ace
Luke Shaw
Manchester United’s rarely seen left-back Luke Shaw made his season debut as a second half substitute.
Shaw featured in the centre-back role, in a three at the back system which really seems to suit him.
The challenge for Shaw is staying fit – but if he is being used as a rotational centre-back rather than a left-back who needs to start every game, United stand a chance of keeping him healthy.
It’s great to see him make his return, as it is well overdue, his first club appearance since February, nine months ago.
Losers
And a couple of United players who will not be pleased with their performances…
Casemiro
Casemiro had shown improvement under Ruud van Nistelrooy, and he will have been disappointed with his efforts against Ipswich.
Without Manuel Ugarte alongside him, his 56th minute replacement, Casemiro struggled to string passes together and failed to make a single tackle or interception.
It was no surprise he was substituted early, and the Brazilian will hope he gets another chance – but Amorim may prefer to look elsewhere in midweek if Kobbie Mainoo is fit to start.
Joshua Zirkzee
Joshua Zirkzee’s cameo performance was not great. The Dutchman has failed to score since the opening game of the season and did not get close against Ipswich.
Brought on as a 68th minute substitute, Zirkzee managed only one touch inside the Ipswich box.
When he did unwind to shoot from range, his effort ended up in Row Z, an embarrassingly poor effort. Must do better.
Rasmus Hojlund
One of the keys as a striker is to be able to influence games from the bench. Rasmus Hojlund‘s substitute displays this season have been flat.
This was another example, where Hojlund struggled to link with his teammates, completing only three passes, and having just two touches inside the Ipswich box.
The one time he looked bright was when he received the ball deep and ran at the defence, before passing the ball straight to a grateful Ipswich defender.
There will be more chances for Hojlund. Like Zirkzee, he is still adjusting to what Amorim wants, and it’s good to see them on the pitch together – it just didn’t work, and both players must show improvement if they are going to earn a place back in the starting line-up for the games that matter.
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