United Beyond Manchester

Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United played to a draw against Ipswich Town in his first match as manager. The 39-year-old quickly implemented his tactics and began a reset that will hopefully lead United back to the top.

The first match offered valuable insights into which players are likely to adapt well to Amorim’s system and which ones may struggle. The ratings below reflect player performance and also indicate who appeared comfortable and who did not in the 3-4-2-1 formation.

Starting Eleven

Andre Onana: 7 – Andre Onana was fantastic again in the United net. He had four saves, including two crucial ones on Liam Delap. The goal conceded was unfortunate as it deflected away from him.

Noussair Mazraoui: 7 – Mazraoui was heavily involved and looked at home on the right side of the back three. The Moroccan completed over 100 passes while defending well, winning eleven duels and completing four tackles.

Matthijs De Ligt: 6 – De Ligt had less to do as the middle-man of the back three. The position suits him well, and his abilities in possession (99% accuracy on the day) make him effective when he steps into the midfield when United has the ball.

Jonny Evans: 6 – The ever-reliable Jonny Evans was solid on the left side of the back three before being replaced by Luke Shaw. He contributed three clearances and three interceptions in his 58 minutes.

Diogo Dalot: 6 – Dalot will need to improve his attacking influence if he wants to remain as a wing-back, but the Portuguese defender had a solid day overall.

Casemiro: 5 – Casemiro struggled at times in a restructured midfield, especially in possession. The Brazilian lost the ball seven times and had a 70% passing accuracy. Going forward, Manuel Ugarte will likely be preferred by Amorim.

Christian Eriksen: 5 – Eriksen was unable to put a real mark on the match and did not seem comfortable alongside Casemiro in a midfield two. He was eventually replaced by Josua Zirkzee, moving Bruno Fernandes deeper.

Bruno Fernandes: 7 – Fernandes was less involved overall against Ipswich but provided a few quality moments. The club captain contributed three key passes and created one big chance.

Amad Diallo: 8 – Ruben Amorim rewarded Amad Diallo’s recent play with a start in his first match. The Ivorian winger assisted Rashford within two minutes and was the biggest threat to the Ipswich goal all match.

Alejandro Garnacho: 5 – Alejandro Garnacho had a quiet opening match under the new manager. The Argentine missed his lone big chance and lost possession nine times. Garnacho will need to connect with the other attackers better if he wants one of the positions behind the striker in the new system.

Marcus Rashford: 7 – Rashford was quiet for much of the game, but he marked Amorim’s first few minutes in charge with a quick goal. It remains to be seen what his role will be going forward, as he started over Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee at striker.

Substitutes

Luke Shaw: 6 – Luke Shaw looked comfortable at left-center back after coming on for Jonny Evans. His return from injury provides Amorim with another solid option at the back or on the wing.

Manuel Ugarte: 6 – Ugarte was solid after coming on and should be the first choice over Casemiro going forward in this system.

Rasmus Hojlund: 5 – Hojlund had just eight touches in his 22 minutes on the pitch. He failed to get a shot off, though he did have one key pass.

Joshua Zirkzee: 5 – Zirkzee’s confidence is at an all-time low. The Dutch striker’s lone shot was an obvious indicator of his current mindset.

Mason Mount: NR – Mount came on late, but the €60 million man could find a larger role soon.

Man of the Match: Amad Diallo