Paul Merson insists that Ruben Amorim’s first match in charge of Man Utd is a “dangerous game” as he warns of a “catastrophic” outcome.
The Red Devils chose to sack Erik ten Hag last month and replace him with Amorim, who left Sporting Lisbon last week and took his first training session on Monday.
Amorim faces a battle to get Man Utd moving in the right direction with the Red Devils currently 13th in the Premier League after just four wins in 11 matches.
Only Southampton, Crystal Palace and Everton have scored fewer goals than Man Utd in the Premier League this season with Joshua Zirkzee, Rasmus Hojlund and Marcus Rashford scoring one goal each in the league.
Ipswich, who Amorim plays in his first match on Sunday, looks like one of the easier matches in the Premier League based on position – but the Tractor Boys have pushed a few good teams close this season and beat Tottenham 2-1 in their last outing before the international break.
And Arsenal legend Merson is expecting a tight encounter but reckons Amorim will come out on top in his first match in charge of Man Utd.
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Speaking ahead of the Premier League encounter on Sunday, Merson told Sportskeeda: “It’s a good first game to be in charge if you’re Ruben Amorim, but it’s also a dangerous game and I’ll tell you why.
“Manchester United cannot lose this game, that would be catastrophic. But if they win, people are going to be like, “It’s only Ipswich, of course you had to win”.
“This is certainly a tough game for Manchester United. I’m backing them to win but I don’t think it will be easy. Amorim will want to play three at the back, this is a good game to test that out. Even though I feel United will win against Ipswich, I have a sneaky feeling about this game.
“Marcus Rashford was clearly not the first-choice in attack under Ruud van Nistelrooy. So he has to turn things around under Amorim. If he is unable to do that, I think United have a big problem. Rashford’s wages are going to become an issue if they want to move him on. I don’t know who buys him at the moment. It will be interesting to see how he performs under Amorim, certainly something to keep an eye on. Prediction: Ipswich 1-2 Manchester United.”
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