Omari Hutchinson On Target As Ipswich Town Held Manchester United On Ruben Amorim Debut—-Ruben Amorim debut ended in draw as ex Chelsea player Omari Hutchinson scores a banger in the dying minutes of the first 45 minutes to cancel out Rashford early strike.
The leveller arrived when Hutchinson cut inside from the right and unleashed a howitzer which deflected off Noussair Mazraoui into the top corner for the former Chelsea man’s first Premier League goal.
Delap, who personifies Town’s competitiveness was soon shoving Mazraoui into a corner flag off the ball to howls of appreciation from the home support.
United, though, almost scored sooner into the second half than they had in the first when a Bruno Fernandess shot was half-saved by Muric and hacked clear by Cameron Burgess.
Delap was soon threatening again, wriggling free of a trio of United players, feeding Wes Burns, then getting on the end of his cross, only to be denied by the boot of Onana.
Amorim has changed United’s shape to a 3-4-3 – but he cannot yet alter their lack of elite quality.
The Portuguese employed Amad Diallo at wing-back and saw him create a second-minute opener for Marcus Rashford, a surprise selection at centre-forward.
But for the vast majority of this match, United were second-best to a newly-promoted Ipswich team which displayed superior desire and no little quality as they earned a point through Omari Hutchinson’s thunderous equaliser.
Amorim can console himself that Sir Alex Ferguson lost at Oxford United in the first match of his epic reign – although he knows he is operating in less patient times.
The new manager reckons he requires two years to prove himself. He is certainly not exaggerating.
United needed a couple of top-drawer saves from Andre Onana to avoid and they remain in the bottom half of the Premier League, a mighty long way from where they need to be.
Amorim had almost four weeks to ponder how to fit his lopsided, under-achieving squad into his 3-4-3 formation and the result – his first United teamsheet – was one few would have predicted.
Rashford was at centre-forward, the ageing duo of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen as a not-so-dynamic duo in central midfield and Diallo at right wing-back.
There was no place for Manuel Ugarte or Rasmus Hojlund while several long-term injuries had cleared up with Luke Shaw, Tyrell Malacia and Kobbie Mainoo on the bench.
A new manager often has a medicinal effect on those on the treatment table.
The tonic United needed most was an early goal – especially one with Amorim’s fingerprints all over it – and that is exactly what they got.
Diallo motored down the right, a Ferrari to the tractor of Jens Cajuste, and centred the near post for Rashford to poke past Aro Muric, who showed little positive intent.
It was only Rashford’s second Premier League goal of the season and some justification for Amorim’s decision to play him through the middle – ditto Diallo’s inclusion at wing-back.
If anybody expected United to simply sweep Ipswich aside, then they hadn’t been watching much of Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich.
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