Amorim’s baptism of fire: Man United eye first win under new manager

Ruben Amorim is set to lead Manchester United for the first time on Sunday, as the Red Devils face Ipswich Town at Portman Road.

Three weeks after being appointed as Erik ten Hag’s successor, the wait is finally over for Manchester United fans. Amorim will make his managerial debut in a Premier League clash against newly promoted Ipswich Town. This encounter pits him against Kieran McKenna, another manager linked with the United job over the summer.

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Amorim steps into the United dugout not only with the shadow of Ten Hag’s tenure looming but also with the responsibility of continuing the momentum from Ruud van Nistelrooy’s interim spell. Van Nistelrooy’s four-match unbeaten run helped lift the Red Devils out of the relegation zone, placing them in 13th. However, despite his steady hand, Van Nistelrooy will not continue under the new regime.

At just 39 years old, Amorim will be United’s youngest manager since Wilf McGuinness, who was 31 when he took charge in 1969. Despite his age, the Portuguese tactician has an impressive record, having led Sporting Lisbon to league titles and famously masterminded a 4-1 Champions League win over Manchester City—an achievement that quickly earned him the admiration of United fans.

Now, Amorim faces the challenge of starting his Manchester United tenure with a victory—something that eluded Ten Hag, Louis van Gaal, and even the legendary Sir Alex Ferguson in their first games at the helm. The pressure is on to make a statement debut, particularly with United languishing in the bottom half of the table.

Ipswich vs Man United Head-to-Head
The last Premier League meeting between the two sides was in April 2002, a 1-0 victory for Man United at Portman Road. In fact, Ipswich have lost four of their last five Premier League games against Man United, failing to score in each defeat.

However, it’s worth noting that these recent encounters were over two decades ago. Before that, the two teams had more frequent clashes, particularly in the 1960s and 1970s. Despite this, United have only managed to win consecutive league matches at Portman Road once, a feat achieved back in the 1962-63 season.