Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim has warned that his players will face a challenging period as they adapt to his methods, following a 1-1 draw against Ipswich Town in his debut match at the club.
In a post-match press conference on Sunday, Amorim urged patience from the club’s supporters, citing significant ongoing changes and a packed schedule.
“I know it’s frustrating for the fans, but we are undergoing major transitions with many games to play,” Amorim said, according to Sky Sports. “We are going to suffer for a while and try to win games, but this process will take time. We could have won against Ipswich, but we could also have lost if not for Onana’s saves.”
The Portuguese coach emphasized that his squad is still adapting to his style of play, with limited time on the training pitch to implement his ideas.
“My players are thinking too much during games—you can feel it. Not just on the ball, but also in their positioning,” he noted. “It’s a tough league, and we’ve only had two days to train together. It’s hard to align their reactions in such a short time.”
Amorim also reflected on specific areas for improvement. “In the first half, we needed more physicality. You could see some hesitation—players like Hutchinson were finding dead spaces, and Jonny Evans wasn’t pressing as he should. With limited training time, it’s difficult to fix these issues.”
United started brightly with Marcus Rashford scoring in the opening two minutes, marking a dream start for Amorim. However, Ipswich grew into the game, dominating possession and creating chances before Omari Hutchinson equalized with a deflected strike off Noussair Mazraoui.
Amorim admitted his players are eager to embrace his philosophy but are still finding their footing. “They want this; they just don’t know how to achieve it yet. For instance, Garnacho is learning to hold the ball better between the lines, and Bruno Fernandes is improving when playing closer to the ball. But there’s still a lot to figure out about the players and their best roles.”
United’s physical performance was also a concern, with the team covering just 102km during the match—their second-lowest distance this season.
When asked about their physical struggles, Amorim responded, “We need to analyze the data and improve. Physically, we must cope better with high pressure and high-speed running, but this will take time to address.”
Amorim remains optimistic but acknowledges that patience will be crucial as the team works through its transitional phase.
