Ruben Amorim’s reign as Manchester United manager got off to a disappointing start, with his side drawing 1-1 away at Ipswich. The Portuguese tactician admitted that his players were “a little bit afraid” during the match, which saw them dominate possession but struggle to create clear-cut chances.
Marcus Rashford scored in just the second minute, but Ipswich levelled before half-time through Omari Hutchinson’s screamer. Despite growing into the clash in the second half, United were unable to find a winner.
Speaking to the media after the match, Amorim said: “If you see the first half, you can see that they are a little bit afraid. We have to jump on them, we have to press them. We had two days [of training] so they are confused a little bit.”
Amorim bemoaned the lack of time he has had with his squad, with the majority of his players only returning from international duty earlier this week. “My players were thinking too much in the game,” he said. “We had just two days altogether, we need more. They leave us one against one and we have to use those moments.”
The Manchester United manager acknowledged that his side’s performance was not up to par, but praised his players’ effort. “It was a tough match, we lost some balls without pressure,” he said. “When you start like this, you have to control the ball. We cannot do it at the moment but they really, really tried. They are really trying and they want this.”
Amorim will have a few days to work with his squad before their next match, a Europa League clash against Bodo Glimt at Old Trafford on Thursday. The match will be his first in charge of United at their home ground, and comes just three days before their Premier League home fixture against Everton.
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