Amorim's Manchester United falls behind against Ipswich after a good start | first division

It was clearly too good to be true. Or to last. There were 82 seconds left on the stadium clock when the Rubén Amorim era in manchester united was launched. The new manager had trusted Marcus Rashford in the number nine position and it was United's great enigma who scored to put them in charge. Rashford attacked early on, a point that needs to be proven.

And yet it was the sign of a slow United retreat for the rest of the first half. The structure was different, United were installed with Amorim's characteristic 3-4-2-1, but the players were the same, apart from many frustrations due to the mandate of Erik ten Hag. It's not Amorim's fault.

Ipswich were the better team before the break and the excellent Omari Hutchinson got the goal he deserved before the end with a long-range shot that Noussair Mazraoui deflected. After Kieran McKenna's team won for the first time in the first division This season at Tottenham before the international break, this was won territory for them.

Not so for United. After all the talking and my goodness there was some talking, Amorim's arrival felt like the arrival of the messiah, it was time for United to fire off some optimism. They were a little better in the second half but not by much. This will take time. Everyone knows it, especially Amorim.

United had risen one place in the table on Saturday without playing (evidently, they expected the support of the club, of the magic of Amorim) and there would always be a focus of attention on their first starting eleven, in addition to all the tactical nuances. Amorim spoke on Friday of the need to “adapt some players” because he did not have the right profiles for his three-back system and there were some square pegs in the round holes, including the left-footed attacking midfielder. Amad Diallo at right back.

Amorim did not have three fit center back specialists (there were four injured) and that is why there was full-back Mazraoui, to the right of the three defenders. Casemiro and Christian Eriksen in the center of the field did not scream revolution. Or rhythm and intensity. There was no place at first for Manuel Ugarte.

He talks about the dream start, an element of vindication because it was Diallo who scored the goal. He moved intelligently between the gears on the right flank, after a give-and-take with Bruno Fernandes and, after avoiding a tackle from Jens Ctuvo, his low cross was the measure of Rashford, who had timed his run. The traveling United fans chanted Amorim's name after 30 seconds. Now they sang it at the top of their lungs for the next few minutes.

Ipswich stabilized. It was clear that Hutchinson had the upper hand on Casemiro and Jonny Evans, who played on the left of United's back three. Hutchinson, in the right-side number 10 role, was precise in his turns and very quick.

Amorim was a presence on the edge of his technical area. This is what training on the fly looks like and it had to alarm him as United sank further and further in the first half. They tried to hurt Ipswich with long diagonal passes into the channels, but it was the home team who took control of the midfield. Inspired by Hutchinson, they gained confidence and it was no surprise when they tied.

The goal had been announced; André Onana was busy in goal for United. He had parried a Sam Szmodics strike in the 11th minute but the big save came on the half-time countdown as Ipswich turned up the heat. Leif Davies easily entered Diallo and waited for Liam Delap's move, putting the ball on a plate. Eight meters out, Delap put his foot into the box only for Onana to throw a big right hand, Schmeichel style, to block.

United's respite did not last long. Inevitably, it was Hutchinson, moving away from Casemiro on the right edge of the box, quick feet in front. His curler bounced off Mazraoui's head to trick Onana into the far top corner.

United pressed more on the front foot after the restart, although they could have conceded when Delap moved away from Matthijs De Ligt and emerged through the middle. De Ligt seemed tremendously slow. Delap went straight at Wes Burns and ran to meet the cross, his spectacular move was avoided by Onana.

Amorim asked Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho to swap sides in the number 10 spots. He played Luke Shaw at left centre-half for his first football of the season, ordering him to stay close to Hutchinson. Ugarte replaced Casemiro.

Garnacho had worked closely with Arijanet Muric at the beginning of the second half after a pass from Fernandes. And there was a moment in the 54th minute when Garnacho led a break with Rashford available inside for the pass, with Ctuvo the only Ipswich defender. Garnacho looked for Rashford; Cayud made a crucial interception.

Amorim looked for a solution, introducing Rasmus Højlund in place of Rashford and bringing in Joshua Zirkzee in the right-side number 10 role, replacing Garnacho and placing Fernandes in midfield.

Ipswich ran out of steam and ideas. Hutchinson was silenced. Did United have a late blow? The answer was no. Fernandes launched a free kick inches wide, but there wasn't much more. It would have been worse if Ipswich substitute Conor Chaplin had fired either side of Onana following a cross from another substitute, Jack Clarke. Onana stood tall.