Ruben Amorim spot on with prediction made after watching Man Utd stars just once

Ruben Amorim said that Manchester United were "going to suffer for a long period" after his first ever game against Ipswich - and as they prepare to face again, his words have proven prophetic.

The Portuguese boss was hired as Erik ten Hag's replacement and his first assignment was a trip to Portman Road. They were the barometer of the task ahead of him and Amorim saw Marcus Rashford score in the opening minutes but eventually the relegation strugglers battled back to secure a point.

Amorim arrived with a winning reputation following his time at Sporting Lisbon but made it known that there would be no quick fix for those at Old Trafford. The United boss took four points from his opening two games, before things quickly went south.

The United boss underlined the need for time and patience after only seeing his team play for 90 minutes - and he's still banging that drum now. Amorim has lost eight of his 15 Premier League games with the team sitting in 15th and it became apparent that the 40-year-old saw holes in his squad.

He said: "I know it's frustrating for the fans but we are changing so much in this moment, with a lot of games. We are going to suffer for a long period and try to win games, this will take time. We could win [vs Ipswich] but we could also lose if not for Onana, but we have to think and be pragmatic about [the fact that] these guys had two days to train and change so much."

United's hectic schedule means that the squad haven't been able to spend huge amounts of time on their formation and system. Amorim made it clear he would waste no time in implementing his 3-4-3 system, but it is yet to result in a positive turnaround.

After seeing the data following their 1-1 draw with Ipswich back in November the United boss said: "First, we have to understand the game, we have to be so much better physically to cope with the high pressure, the volume of the high-speed running, all these things but we need time to work on these things."

Amorim was relaxed with his players in the early stages, insisting the lack of time on the training ground was an issue. He claimed: "My players were thinking too much in the game, you can feel it. Not just on the ball but where they are supposed to be. And that is hard It's just two days with the team so it's really hard. I think the physicality we needed more in the first half."

Since that afternoon though his reaction and criticism has been more scathing. The goalscorer Rashford has since been moved on after he was frozen out under Amorim. The United boss has also claimed he's presided over the "worst team in Manchester United's history".

Ipswich will now head to Old Trafford, looking to add to their total of just seven points on the road all season. Amorim meanwhile has seen United lose five of their last six league games at their Manchester home.

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