Rúben Amorim's first match as Manchester United's head coach brought mixed emotions. Facing Ipswich Town in the 12th round of the Premier League, the Portuguese manager experienced joy and relief after Marcus Rashford’s early goal, but frustration and disappointment followed as the newly promoted side fought back, posed significant challenges, and snatched a late equalizer at Portman Road (1-1).

The result does little to improve United's situation, as they currently sit 12th in the league standings. Amorim, who took charge on November 11, admitted after the game that it wasn’t the start he had hoped for but expressed some contentment given the limited preparation time he had with the team.

"We are going to suffer for a while"

Speaking to Sky Sports, Amorim said: “I know it’s frustrating for the fans, but we’re changing so much right now with so many games coming up. We are going to suffer for a long period as we try to win games, but it will take time. Today, we could have lost without Onana, so we need to be pragmatic and reflect. These players had only two days to train and adapt to so many changes.”

Struggles with adaptation

Aware of the magnitude of the task ahead, Amorim pointed out the team’s shortcomings during the match: “They tried, but they overthought things during the game, which is normal. We started well, but then we should have had more possession of the ball. At times, we had the ball in defense, and the rest of the team was too static, wondering where they needed to be.”

The coach refrained from blaming the players, highlighting that many returned late from the international break, giving them even less time to grasp his tactical ideas: “It’s difficult for the players to handle everything in three days. But we won’t abandon this new approach. That’s why I was brought in, even in the middle of the season. Next year, at this stage, we’ll either be dealing with the same problems or starting to improve now, taking risks, suffering a bit, and being better by this time next season.”

For now, Amorim’s focus will be on helping Manchester United climb out of their mid-table position and steer the team back to winning ways.