Ruben Amorim has acknowledged that Manchester United will "suffer for a long period" following a 1-1 Premier League draw at Ipswich Town in his debut as head coach.

Amorim’s tenure got off to a dream start when Marcus Rashford put United ahead after just 81 seconds at Portman Road, capitalising on some brilliant work from Amad Diallo, who played in an unconventional right wing-back role.

However, the 39-year-old manager’s hopes for a straightforward victory were dashed when Ipswich responded with resilience, earning a deserved equaliser through Omari Hutchinson’s deflected strike in the 43rd minute.

United were ultimately indebted to goalkeeper Andre Onana, whose two exceptional saves – one in each half – denied Liam Delap from close range and ensured Amorim avoided defeat on his first day in charge.

While Amorim expressed satisfaction with his players’ effort in adapting to his favoured 3-4-3 system, he offered a sobering assessment of the challenges ahead.

“It is hard to expect anything right now,” Amorim admitted. “It is not a surprise, but you have to see it in the game to truly understand. That’s why I was a little anxious – you can never predict exactly how things will unfold.

“What I saw today is that the players are trying. They are staying in their positions, receiving instructions, and applying them on the pitch. That is crucial.

“Even in difficult moments, they were following the game plan, but we are changing so much at the moment, with so many matches to play. We are going to suffer for a long period, and we will try to win games during that time. It will take patience, but we know we must deliver results.”

Amorim praised Onana’s performance, admitting, “We could have lost if not for Onana. We need to be realistic about that. The players had only two days of training to implement significant changes.”

Tactical Decisions and Game Highlights

Amorim’s decision to deploy Diallo as a wing-back paid immediate dividends. The youngster surged past Jens Cajuste and set up Rashford, who started as the central striker ahead of Rasmus Højlund.

Christian Eriksen came close to doubling the lead with a powerful shot that went just wide, but Ipswich began to dominate. Onana produced a miraculous save to deny Delap after a pinpoint pass from Leif Davis. Moments later, Hutchinson turned Casemiro before unleashing a left-footed strike that deflected in off Noussair Mazraoui.

In the second half, Delap came close again with a clever backheel from Wes Burns’ cross, but Onana was equal to the task. Despite late chances for both sides, the match ended in a stalemate.

Amorim Reflects on the Challenge Ahead

“We started very well, but we needed to control possession better,” Amorim noted. “When you implement a new structure, the players need time to develop fluency. Considering we only had two training sessions after the international break, they did well.”

Amorim also praised the atmosphere at Portman Road. “The crowd was fantastic. You’re lucky to have the best league in the world, and this happens every weekend. But once the game begins, for me, it’s no different from managing in the Portuguese third division – I’m completely focused on the match.”

Ipswich Manager’s Perspective

Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna, a former Manchester United Under-18s manager, believed his team could have secured victory and highlighted Onana’s brilliance as the deciding factor.

“I thought it was his head at first, but if he saved that from such close range, it’s incredible,” McKenna said of Onana’s first-half stop. “The second save was just as crucial.

“We probably had the better chances overall, but it was a fairly even match. There are plenty of positives to take from how we played.”

The result leaves Amorim with much to ponder as he embarks on his Manchester United journey, with plenty of work ahead to turn the club’s fortunes around.