- The presenter identified a key characteristic he liked about Ruben Amorim
- Amorim oversaw a strong 1-1 draw against Ipswich in his first match
- Liverpool correspondent LEWIS STEELE tells all in bombshell chat with Mo Salah – LISTEN NOW It all starts! New episodes every Monday and Thursday
Richard Keys has rarely praised Manchester United, naming the key attribute of new manager Ruben Amorim that impressed him most after the Portuguese’s debut game.
Amorim finally got his United reign under way against Ipswich on Sunday and looked set to celebrate an opening win when Marcus Rashford scored inside two minutes before the hosts pushed themselves back into proceedings.
The Portuguese head coach admitted his new 3-4-3 formation will need time to adapt and moments of disorganization were ultimately punished when Omar Hutchinson scored a long-range goal on the stroke of half-time.
United climbed to 12th in the Premier League standings after taking a point at Portman Road and despite failing to seal the victory, his tactics still left many pundits impressed.
Jamie Carragher was among those left reeling over Amorim’s intense press against Ipswich, which is in stark contrast to the defensive chaos previously seen under former manager Erik ten Hag.
Now Richard Keys has delivered his verdict on Amorim’s performance, crediting the 39-year-old’s steely touchline performance as he painstakingly instructed United’s players for 90 minutes.
Ruben Amorim could only take one point from his first game as Man United manager
Manchester United’s players are trying to adapt to Amorim’s new tactical demands
Richard Keys mentioned the one ‘class’ characteristic that impressed him during Amorim’s first match
Amorim – United’s youngest ever Premier League manager – could have been forgiven for having a frenzied celebration in the dugout as Rashford’s early goal against Ipswich found the back of the net.
Instead, the former Sporting Lisbon boss remained calm and immediately started talking to his assistants, rather than losing focus on the match knowing Kieran McKenna’s side would try to hit back.
It was this quality that caused Keys to sing Amorim’s praises and write in his own blogging, said: ‘I liked the way Amorim reacted to the goal. Nothing. Absolutely nothing. He was motionless. Class.
‘But the freshness, optimism and joy all faded too quickly and it was clear that despite the system – and there is nothing wrong with that – this United team is in terminal decline and Amorim has a great job to do. .
‘But we knew that, right? There is no short-term solution. He simply doesn’t have enough players who are good enough to wear the jersey,” the presenter said.
Meanwhile, Amorim reserved individual praise for some of his first-team stars, including young duo Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho, but also explained that the squad will ‘suffer’ as they adapt to his demands.
Amorim explained that he expects United to ‘suffer’ as they adapt to his new vision
‘It’s hard to expect anything now. It’s not a surprise, but you have to see it in the game. That’s why I was a little worried, because you can’t understand what will happen in the game. I felt that,” the United boss told Sky Spots.
“What I understood today is that they are trying, they are really trying. They stay in the positions, they receive information and try to use it in the game. That is very important.
“Even in the tough moments, I felt like they were doing the things we told them to do.
“I know it’s frustrating for the fans, but we’re changing so much at the moment with a lot of games. We will suffer for a long time and we will try to win games. This will take time, but I know we have to win games.