Ruben Amorim’s first game as Manchester United boss was further proof that he has a huge job. Here are eight stars who will stay and thrive or leave…

The hype – which was only reinforced by *another* tiresome international break – built to a fever pitch (and got us stupidly giddy) before Amorim’s first game in charge, but the actual event was underwhelming as Man Utd‘s new head coach did not get the bounce he would have been craving ahead of his side’s 1-1 draw at Ipswich Town. More of a thud, actually.

Still, the match was not a disaster like Erik ten Hag’s first Premier League game in charge and Amorim will have surely learned a lot from his side’s performance at Portman Road.

There will be clearer signs of where Man Utd are going under Amorim once his philosophy is further embedded in his players’ brains and next year’s transfer windows have closed.

But that’s ages away, so we thought it was best to make some kneejerk predictions after the 39-year-old’s first game in charge, which made clear what is in store for these eight players in particular…

Amad Diallo – Staying
Despite being one of Man Utd’s better players during the latter days of Ten Hag’s reign, Amad was identified as one of seven stars facing a January exit. 

This is largely down to him being in the final year of his contract, though his performance in the draw at Ipswich indicates he’s got a big future ahead with the help of Amorim.

The 22-year-old was the first of Man Utd’s natural wingers trusted to occupy a wing-back role and was the driving force behind his side’s best moment against Ipswich as he broke away from his markers before assisting Rashford for the opening goal inside the opening couple of minutes.

This is as good as it got for Amad and Man Utd, but the Ivory Coast international was switched on from a defensive standpoint and immediately stands out as one of Amorim’s preferred wide options in his 3-4-3 formation.

READ: Premier League winners and losers: Postecoglou, O’Neil, Amorim, Leicester, Man City, Everton and more

Antony – Leaving
Amad’s performance was another nail in the coffin for £86m flop Antony, who is surely nearing the exit door.

Amorim has tried Antony at wing-back in training and presumably did not like what he saw, with the Brazil international among Man Utd’s unused substitutes against Ipswich.

The prospect of Antony being used at wing-back raised a few eyebrows as he’s rarely shown a willingness to defend, but this is a position he’ll have to embrace if he’s to have a future at Man Utd under Amorim.

Right now this feels unlikely as he’s still without a Premier League start this season and the ‘disruptive influence’ leaving is perhaps the best outcome for all involved so the book can be closed on this disaster transfer.

Andre Onana – Staying
Man Utd have been left wanting in various positions this season; upgrades are clearly required across the pitch, but this is not the case with the goalkeeping department.

Tasked with replacing David De Gea, Onana got off to a torrid start at Man Utd as he produced a disasterclass or two in the Champions League, though he grew into his debut season and has taken that form into this campaign.

Ipswich reacted brilliantly to going behind on Sunday and Onana was forced into making a couple of great saves. Thankfully for United, the Cameroon international was up to the task and Amorim will be grateful that the 28-year-old is ensuring that the No.1 situation is one area not giving him a headache as they already have the best goalkeeper in the Premier League.

Casemiro – Leaving
As Casemiro shone under interim boss Ruud van Nistelrooy, we questioned whether Ten Hag was *actually* the cause for the £60m signing flopping at Old Trafford.

Clearly that was an Indian summer as the 32-year-old’s best days are behind him, with his long-term future away from Man Utd.

Circumstances meant Casemiro had to partner fellow oldie Christian Eriksen in the middle of midfield against Ipswich and the leggy pair showed why Amorim will prefer Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte when he’s got the luxury of a fully fit squad to choose from.

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Noussair Mazraoui – Staying
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s team of the ‘best in class’ have taken over at Man Utd, but the Premier League giants are still struggling to get the majority of their signings right.

Man Utd have got more than their fair share wrong, but they have found a gem in Mazraoui.

The cheapest of United’s summer signings at around £17m including add-ons, Mazraoui has been pretty faultless wherever he’s been asked to play, and showed against Ipswich that there is another string to his bow.

Mazraoui’s ability to occupy either flank will come in handy when Amorim selects his defensive option at wing-back, but his seamless transition to a right centre-back against Ipswich is another feather in the cap of United’s Swiss Army man.

Joshua Zirkzee – Leaving
It shows how poorly the Netherlands international has been for United that reports linking him with a speedy January exit (which Amorim is said to be ‘helping’ him secure amid baffling Premier League interest) are being met with very little backlash.

It’s been downhill for the 23-year-old since he scored the winning goal in United’s 1-0 win against Fulham; he’s not since come close to displaying the poise he displayed for his finish on the opening day.

Zirkzee’s forgetful cameo off the bench against Ipswich made it 11 Premier League games without a goal for the underperforming forward, whose poor form does not even come with the caveat of him making a positive impact in build-up play.

He’s quickly proven to be a pointless signing as he’s not the proper striker craved by Man Utd supporters in the summer. The sooner they can cut their losses the better.

READ: Good luck Ruben Amorim; Man Utd are ‘a fat, lazy, bloated corpse of a club’

Diogo Dalot – Staying
Amongst a river of sh*t, Dalot has largely been praised for his performances in the past 18 months and was rewarded with a new long-term contract in May 2023.

The Portugal international has not been immune to criticism and has recently faced the wrath of Paul Scholes, but United’s deeper-rooted problems lie elsewhere and the wing-back is one of few examples of players who can hold their heads high amid Man Utd’s prolonged decline.

Dalot put forward his case for being one of Amorim’s starters against Ipswich and did an admirable job. The looming presence of Mazraoui will be a concern, though they are each comfortably out in front as United’s best defensive wing-back options. This is not purely down to their ability to keep fit, either.

Marcus Rashford – Leaving
Another new manager, another much-needed fresh start for Rashford.

The England international has openly admitted that he prefers playing on the left wing, but Amorim’s system will not afford him such a luxury. Instead, he started as United’s lone striker against Ipswich and made the perfect start, scoring past Arijanet Muric after getting on the end of Amad’s cross.

Frustratingly, Rashford contributed to Man Utd fading in the game as he reverted to type from this point, lumbering around the pitch and providing little respite for his under-fire teammates as a useful attacking outlet.

Rashford has never been closer to a move away from Man Utd than before Ten Hag’s first season in charge, but an exit could be even more likely next year as his concerning lack of intensity in Amorim’s first game does not bode well for what’s to come. There are five ways to fix him and a move to Man City to be part of Pep Guardiola’s imminent rebuild is one of them.

New Man Utd boss Ruben Amorim has spotted a problem with playing Marcus Rashford up front after their 1-1 draw against Ipswich Town on Sunday.

The Red Devils opened the scoring inside two minutes through Rashford at Portman Road before a deflected long-range strike from Omari Hutchinson gave the Tractor Boys a share of the spoils.

It was only Rashford’s second goal of the season in the Premier League with Man Utd moving up one place to 12th in the standings.

Rasmus Hojlund and summer signing Joshua Zirkzee haven’t been much help either this campaign with the Man Utd duo scoring just a goal each in the Premier League.

Only Southampton, Crystal Palace and Everton have scored fewer Premier League goals this season than Man Utd and Amorim is unsure about playing Rashford centrally.

Rashford started the match against Ipswich through the middle but Amorim admits that caused Man Utd to lose the ability to make the ball stick up front.

Amorim said: “The main thing is that they tried. We lost some balls, we played with Rashford up front and we lost some physicality, some ability to hold the ball.

“We had two training sessions and it’s such a big change. We have to think about the next game and the Europa League.”

MORE MAN UTD COVERAGE ON F365…
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Amad Diallo was deployed as a wing-back on the right-hand side against Ipswich with Amorim using a new 3-4-3 formation at Man Utd and the Portuguese boss was pleased with the Ivorian.

Amorim added: “I think he was very good. Since these three days, he improved so much defensively.

“The opponent that he had all the team was the left-back, so it’s like a winger that follows the left-back. It’s so much easier I think, because he doesn’t have to think, can I jump on the centre-back or no?

“You just follow one guy, and go forward with the same guy, it’s man-to-man in that area. He was so focused on everything. I think he did a great job.”

Andre Onana pulled off a few good saves to keep Ipswich at bay on Sunday and Amorim heaped praise on the Man Utd goalkeeper.

Amorim continued: “I think it’s so clear for everybody. He saved us two times at least.

“And then one important thing is that he used to do so [many] long balls. He tried to connect with the players and that was very good for me.

“I think he understood the idea. He did a great job.”

Gary Neville has picked out Luke Shaw and three other Man Utd players as the big “winners” of the new system under Ruben Amorim.

The Red Devils have not had very long at all on the training pitch as they look to learn Amorim’s new style of play and 3-4-3 formation.

Amorim took charge of his first training session eight days ago with many of his players not joining in until the end of last week because of international duty.

Man Utd drew their first match under Amorim 1-1 against Ipswich Town on Sunday as they moved up once place to 12th in the Premier League as the new manager realised the size of the job on his hands.

And former Man Utd defender Neville has picked out four players that he thinks will emerge as “winners” from the new system under Amorim.

Neville said on Sky Sports: “Luke Shaw, if he can keep fit. As I think that left centre-back needs to eventually be able to play out as a left-back, so he is well suited to do both. The same must be said of the right centre-back.

“We saw Mazraoui do it against Ipswich. I think Ugarte will be a winner, just because I think in midfield, not just because he’s played for him before.

“I think it’s how you fit in the likes of Rashford, Garnacho, Bruno Fernandes. Because one thing you know with that system, you’ve got two wing-backs, you’ve got a back three and you’ve got a two in front.

MORE MAN UTD COVERAGE ON F365…
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👉 Good luck Ruben Amorim; Man Utd are ‘a fat, lazy, bloated corpse of a club’

“It’s then that three, which obviously the two that he likes to play sort of come inside a little bit. So, you’re wondering about sort of Amad… Amad played obviously wide yesterday, but Garnacho, Rashford, Hojlund, Zirkzee, Fernandes. That’s the conundrum of those attacking positions where I can’t quite see what’s going to happen.

“I think Mainoo and Ugarte for me, playing midfield, I think they’re absolute certs. I think Luke Shaw’s a certainty to play. I think he would be anyway in a back four or a back three.

“I think ultimately you’ll end up with Yoro as the right-centre-back, I think just because of that energy and that pace. So, I think the winners will be the ones who I think are adaptable.

“When we played with a back five with Terry Venables or a back three with Glenn Hoddle, the outer centre-backs do have to be able to go out wide. So, I think the ones who are more flexible and agile are going to be the winners.”

READ NEXT: Ten Premier League players who desperately need a January transfer

Man Utd are still the biggest story in the Premier League despite Man City’s woes, and Ruben Amorim cannot solve this problem.

Send your thoughts on any subject to theeditor@football365.com

Damned United
Well, where do I begin? How any so-called footballer on United’s squad over the last 10 years has been allowed to get away with earning ridiculously high wages for not performing is beyond me. There again, United are now fast being seen a match-fixing cash cow team, full of mercenaries.

United’s entire identity is demolished, and you’d think it couldn’t get any worse. Well, think again. If they cannot beat Ipswich Town, then honestly ask yourself, why bother if you don’t want to compete? The club is lost. Too much money involved in this once amazing game. It now is full of cheats and gamblers. No pride, no tenacity, only greed and green-eyed monsters.

I’d be embarrassed to show my career at United to my children and grand children post Sir Ferguson. There’s no excuse for not making runs, for the entire match. For not pressing, not passing convincingly. No excuse for not thinking ahead and anticipating. There’s no vision, and senior players are too inconsistent, what kind of example are they setting?

Onana saved them again from another embarrassment. Where does this cash cow stop? When will they be allowed to play football again? But we keep buying the merch, and following the club, and making them rich, so why bother? Just turn up, dress up in the kit, do your hair and go earn a fat wage for doing very little for 90 miuntres or so.

FA Cup final is one example of how they can actually be professional contenders. A team to fear and respect. Ipswich actually lost any respect they may have gone into the match with, and why not. United do not deserve to be in the Premier League, and I hope they finish way at the bottom and into relegation. They’d be pathetic in League One then, and then what.

What a joke. A bunch of pretty boys. Nothing more.
Joe

MORE MAN UTD COVERAGE ON F365…
👉 Amorim Watch: New Man Utd manager rubs his nose a lot and we get bored
👉 Eight Man Utd kneejerk predictions on player exits after Amorim’s first game include Rashford leaving
👉 Good luck Ruben Amorim; Man Utd are ‘a fat, lazy, bloated corpse of a club’

Hated, adored etc
Is Manchester United Football Club is an impossible club to run? Granted, its owners have been trying to prove that point for nigh on 20 years so it may just be that but I get the feeling that even perfection wouldn’t have been good enough.

Expectations are insane. To the point where people are blind to the evidence before them. Erik Ten Hag lost his first two United games, 2-1 at home to Brighton and 4-0 away to Brentford. Because he was a shiny new manager we kidded ourselves and said that with a brand new squad we’d be fine, forgetting that a) a brand new squad is expensive and b) the extant squad was created at great expense and no one wanted to buy them. We all forgot that the job of a football coach is to make footballers better individually and as a team.

Simultaneously we forgot that this takes time (although Erik had all bloody Summer in hindsight) and pundits were saying he was a dud manager after two defeats, a position that many of them stuck to despite a pot, a final and a pretty decent third placed finish in his first season. I maintain that this was largely due to his demeanour in press conferences and a perceived lack of grasp of the English language. He also binned off Piers Morgan’s mate which didn’t help either. That United were increasingly shit under his reign may have had something to do with it too though….

But let’s, for the sake of argument, agree that ETH was the big problem at Old Trafford and that he caused shit recruitment (we’ve already established that was already a problem), poor coaching (but the players are rubbish anyway?) and a poor culture at the club (didn’t Ronaldo say this was obviously an issue when he returned to the club one year before Ten Hag?). Are we expecting Ruben Amorim to fix all this in two training sessions?

The answer it seems is clearly fecking yes, judging by media and fan reaction to a draw away at Ipswich. We’ve blamed a lack of mobility in the middle under Eriksen and Casemiro for poor performances, countless times in the past. We’ve lamented that we have to play Jonny Evans and full backs in central defensive positions for the past 12 months. We’re rubbish going forward, Garnacho is inconsistent, Bruno is wasteful, Luke Shaw is always injured, all these things that have been gone over time and again for years and we expected Amorim to wave a magic wand and fix it overnight?

Likewise the Glazers. 20 years of neglect and everyone expected INEOS to turn things round overnight with a 27% stake in the club. Nicholson thought now was a good time to stick the boot into United calling us “fat, lazy*, bloated corpse of a club”. Now Johnny does some good stuff and I’m pretty sure he will have called INEOS out for all their penny pinching in this first year of their ownership. He’ll have been complaining about them cutting costs by reducing the workforce and skimping on expenses for Cup final travel. I agree. That does seem to me though to be INEOS realising that United are, to use Nicholson’s own words “fat” and “bloated” and taking some action to address it.

I think the instruments that JN uses to beat United over the head are old hat. Just a money making machine (SJR claims to be putting football first). Rotting stadium (famously figuring that one out as we speak). Ill considered transfer strategy (now have brand new football structure in place). Shit football (literally just sacked the manager for Pete’s sake, which JN also seems not to like). They are also all long term fixes which will take time to judge, except changing the manager, though I think we can all agree that it will take more than two training sessions.

All this really to say that we all know (or think we do) the problems at United. We are doomed to read, write, listen and talk about them every time United lose or draw and quite often even when we win. I know it was a long International break (San Marino eh?) but really all that needed writing was “United drew and didn’t play particularly well demonstrating what we already knew – Amorim has some coaching to do”. Which incidentally is what he’s paid for.

Did we need opinion pieces and bile from Messrs Keane and Neville? Can we just take a minute to appreciate that 115 have lost FIVE in a row? Less column inches will be written about their expulsion for the Premier League (or £10M fine) than about United’s flawed yet comfortable 2-0 victory over Bodø/Glimt on Thursday.

I also do not need Aman’s emails about how x player(s) need to leave. Firstly, they don’t need to leave, they’ve all got contracts. What they need to do is play football to the requisite standard. What United need to do is approach recruitment in a measured and strategic way that improves the squad over time. I’m happy if this involves smarter recruitment like replacing Wan Bissaka with Mazraoui. Making loads of players leave without any idea who you’re replacing them with is nonsense. Ideally the coach will actually do some coaching and improve players before we dip into our non-existent funds again.

Anyway, good luck Ruben. You’re f*cked, but only really because that’s the narrative that has been created since 2013.

*can a corpse really be lazy? I think this inadvertently hits the nail on the head – we are all expecting United to be something they are currently not and have not been for at least 11 years – a well run football club with a well coached team.

What is dead may never die.
Ashmundo

Success over size please
I don’t have a hat in this particular ring, but I’m going to bite because it’s a Liverpool fan.

I’d rather be successful than “big” because ultimately, what does “big” even mean?

Is “big” one league title in 36 (THIRTY-SIX) years? Because if Bayern, Barcelona or Real Madrid had that sort of record, they’d be shame faced, hiding from all forms of social media out of sheer embarrassment.

I like Liverpool – the football club – but my god their insufferable, full kit w*nker fans constantly ruin their reputation. This is why we tolerated Man City because the alternative would have been THEM.
Willy (.)

Perspective on Man City
Possession 58/42
Shots 23/9
Touches in opposition box 43/17
Corners 9/3

Score 0-4

Whilst the last one is the most important, it’s hard not to imagine Haaland banging at least 2 of his chances on any other day and City being out of sight by half time.

It wouldn’t be unusual for them not to turn that around next week and a game against Feyenoord should end this run.

Well done Tottenham but it was far from a “perfect away performance” judging by the chances given up, let’s not give City the last rites just yet.
Howard (but if LFC do win……) Jones

Guardiola a fraud? Really?
It amazes me how often people want to feed into their own narrative and totally lose rational thought. The phrase “Pep is a fraud” accompanying by the usual narrative drivel of “he only does it with expensive world class talent bought at high prices”.

People are so narrow minded in this view that it often disguises their jealousy of his accomplishments at the expense of their team. I support Arsenal and would love to see them beat City to the title. However I do not let my wish get in the way of recognising genius.

First tell me which top class manager has not had great players to help them win. Ferguson? Really? Cantona, Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, Roy Keane, Van Nistlelroy? These were the best talent of their day. How much do you think they would be worth in today’s prices? Latterly Van Persie taken off a rival and used to win his last Prem. Ferguson is a great manager but he worked with great players to achieve his status and also enjoyed a level of financial backing his rivals did not until the appearance of Chelsea and Mourinho.

Now the saying is Pep is a fraud as he depends so much on Rodri. Well yes he does. Why? He created Rodri. Do people have short memories of when Rodri was bought? There was a little fella called Fernandinho who was the Rodri before Rodri. In fact the consensus at the time was that this new Rodri recruit is not good enough to fill his shoes. Well, Pep turned him into a Ballon D’or winner.

This brings me to my next point. Pep develops world class talent into world class players. The two points are not the same. So many world class talents fall by the wayside. Just look at Man U players.

I am convinced if Pep had managed Man United with all the money they have spent he would have turned them into serial winners. Money alone does not win you titles.

Finally the problems he is facing now is one of personnel in midfield. The Rodri position is such a specialist one under Pep that it glues the whole team together. It and other midfielders allow the front players to press and protects the defence with the high line and risk the team takes. When people talk about his great Barcelona team they mention Messi, Iniesta, and Xavi. They rarely mention Busquet who was the glue to that side. I watched Barcelona live once when Busquet was injured and they struggled that day.

The issue at the moment is that the people who can normally fill the position for Man City are showings signs of decline i.e. Gundogan or too light weight ie Lewis. Pep is currently juggling his resources to see what works. He will soon know what does and what does not but that does not make him a bad manager overnight.

Also City have been starting games well but the big Norwegian has been having a mare in front of goal. No one talks about expensive strikers when they are not scoring now do they. Or are you only a fraud when he scores loads?

Last season he was without his best creative player for most of the season and look what happened in the end.

Let’s stop the nonsense on Pep and acknowledge him rightly as one of the best of all time. Where you want to place him on the hierarchy of greatness is up to you.
Michael O, Chingford

(We’ll put him second – Ed)

…How has no one replied to the utter tosh Lee wrote in the other day about Guardiola; the epitome of the modern day football fan. Overreaction, hyperbole, and just general nonsense spouted as some form of opinion.

He’s lost five games in a row, for the first time in his managerial career. Sure, at the moment it seems like a lot, but it’s the first time it has ever happened to him, so naturally, he must be a fraud because he can’t win, and he can only do it with the best players in the world, who became the best players in spite of his coaching.

Messi aside – because surely he was always going to be special but I do think the impact a coach can have on a player’s career, both good and bad is often overlooked on these pages – Rodri is the player he is today because of Pep. He wasn’t earmarked to become the best player in the world when he moved to City, and struggled in his first season.

He brought Barcelona back to the pinnacle of football, arguably the best team ever, and certainly the best Barca team, with youth team products he coached at youth level a core make up of the squad. He is one of the most important figures – if not the most important – in modern football, and along with Cruyff & Sacchi, is instrumental in the evolution of football to where it is today – love it or hate it.

He has changed the way the game is played, the way people think, talk and watch football has changed, and he as been fundamental in that. He has shown at City is consistent ability to tinker and fix and mould a team throughout a season, and now, in what I believe is around the 17th season of his coaching career, is suffering a blip most coaches have been through long before now.

Yeah, City might not win anything this season, and sure, his Bayern spell was unsuccessful by his own lofty standards, and modern day football is narrative drive entertainment where most fans/media fight to shout the loudest; but the man is a god in football managerial terms, and like in all walks of life, it’ll only be when he is gone that he will be truly appreciated by the masses.
Neill, Ireland

Is Gundogan return an issue?
Just a small point about City’s recent collapse and the return of Gundogan. On paper, it looked like it made sense – return of an experienced pro who can mentor the younger players and play his own part when City need to rely on him.

I do wonder though what impact it has had on the squad atmosphere, an area Pep probably didn’t consider too deeply. Dynamics change in teams when older members move on, and no doubt it did for them last season. So to have Gundogan come back, how does that alter the pecking order that has been built, the new camaraderie, especially at the late stage he did (end of August). And how does it feel – if you play in the middle – to have him now start ahead of you most of the games?

I’m not putting their defeats down to Gundogan’s return, but their continued malaise and the nature of some of the defeats maybe points at the mentality of the squad having changed.
Nelson, Glasgow
Ps, is that really Peter G again, he who once wrote an (excellent) article for F365?

(It is; we love Peter G – Ed)

Drury makes my ears bleed
So relieved to read the mail from ‘DC in Leeds’ in yesterday afternoon’s mailbox about Peter s*dding Drury. I thought it was just me! Also grateful to ‘Freddybobs’ in the comments section for the link he posted for F365’s ‘Maelstrom of awfulness’ article on the idiot last February. (I hadn’t read it).

But my pet peeve is this thing, that only he does, where he simply strings together the names of players in possession, for endless minutes of time, until somebody takes a shot, or tries to, whereupon he goes full banshee. I don’t know how many times he did it on Sunday, especially in the second half of Ipswich v United. It goes like this:

“ Evans. Erikson. Casemiro. Evans. Bruno. Casemiro. Shaw. GARNACHO!!!!!!!”

You could be watching Leicester or Liverpool. Doesn’t matter. He does it in every single game he’s in the chair for. That’s it. Not “Bruno’s off down the wing, Oh great pass and Garnacho could be in here…..” or anything of that sort. Oh no. Just endlessly repeat the name of the player who passes a ball then the name of the player who receives it. To an audience that is watching the same f*cking game he is! Repeat ad nauseam. I thought pros called that ‘dead air’? Still, good work if you can get it.
Mark (Mail to follow about all things City on Wednesday morning). MCFC