Ruben Amorim shared his concerns about his team’s decision-making following Manchester United’s 1-1 draw against Ipswich Town on Sunday.
Despite an encouraging start with Marcus Rashford’s early goal, Amorim expressed disappointment with some individual performances, particularly those of Joshua Zirkzee and Jonny Evans.
United took an early lead at Portman Road with Rashford’s second-minute goal, but Ipswich equalized through a deflected shot from Omari Hutchinson. Kieran McKenna’s side had an opportunity to go ahead, but Andre Onana made an impressive save to deny Liam Delap.
In the second half, Amorim made five substitutions, introducing Luke Shaw, Manuel Ugarte, Rasmus Hojlund, Zirkzee, and Mason Mount. Zirkzee, who was placed in a No. 10 role, struggled to make an impact, prompting Amorim to urge the Dutch forward to improve his positioning in the box.
Amorim emphasized that Zirkzee’s lack of awareness during attacks was a concern, stating, “You have to control the ball and understand when to move it forward. Zirkzee needs to position himself better for crosses.” He added, “The system isn’t the issue; it’s about a better understanding of the game.”
Jonny Evans, assigned to mark Hutchinson, also received criticism. Amorim pointed out that Evans didn’t press Hutchinson closely enough, giving the Ipswich player too much space. “Evans should have been tighter on Hutchinson,” Amorim noted. “We were too passive in the first half. Without proper pressing, things become difficult.”
The manager admitted that limited training time had left his players disoriented at times. “We only had two days to prepare, and it’s clear we need more time to refine the physical and tactical aspects,” Amorim explained.
Amorim also highlighted the significance of Bruno Fernandes in the team’s build-up play. While acknowledging Fernandes’ improvement in controlling the ball, he stressed that United can’t rely exclusively on his long passes. “Bruno is crucial for us, but we need to manage his role carefully,” said Amorim.
With a challenging season ahead, Amorim is focused on improving his squad’s understanding of the game and addressing the issues that surfaced in the draw with Ipswich.
