Man Utd vs Ipswich analysis: Predicted starting XI and score prediction
Manchester United will be looking to make a strong statement this weekend as the much-anticipated Ruben Amorim era finally kicks off.
With a struggling Ipswich Town side as his first test, the odds are totally in United’s favour.
But United fans have been here before and will be wary of another false dawn after the trials of Louis van Gaal, Jose Mourinho, and Erik ten Hag.
Sports News Blitz writer George Russell is here to take a look at Sunday’s clash against Ipswich at Portman Road.
Manager head-to-head
The big story heading into this game will be centred around Ruben Amorim as Manchester United try yet another solution to the long-term malaise at Old Trafford.
Amorim ended his spell with Sporting Lisbon unbeaten in all competitions this season and with two Portuguese League titles accrued over the past four years.
The 39-year-old’s first task is to immediately improve the league position of the underperforming Red Devils, who currently wallow in 13th place on the Premier League table.
Despite the league position, however, there remains an outside chance that United could qualify for the top four this season.
In the opposition dugout, Kieran McKenna will have an emotional rollercoaster on Sunday as his plucky but struggling Ipswich side attempts to bring down his former employers.
McKenna recently spent many years at the Theatre of Dreams on the coaching staff under both Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
He has since achieved miracles with this Ipswich side, having miraculously secured consecutive promotions with the Tractor Boys.
Unfortunately, this campaign sees the hosts already in a relegation fight after only 11 games.
READ MORE: Man Utd news: Ruben Amorim’s main mission must be to connect United with fan base
Training under the Portuguese
Amorim was finally able to take charge of training after his visa issues were sorted out this week, although international duty meant that he was without a number of players who might expect to start against Ipswich on Sunday.
Interestingly, a video of United’s first session under Amorim was released by the club, and it consisted of something we have not seen in a while from the Manchester side — high-intensity football.
This was, of course, music to the ears of the club’s fans who have been longing to see maximum effort applied once again.
During training, Amorim also set up the players in a 3-4-3 formation. This consisted of a back three of Evans, Yoro, and Shaw, with Antony and Malacia playing as wing-backs. Mainoo and Casemiro were central while Mount and Amad were firing the bullets for Rashford up top.
This is something that was never seen under Ten Hag and has understandably left many United fans excited and intrigued.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Man Utd news: The top five things on Ruben Amorim’s to-do list at Old Trafford
Predictions for Sunday
United are the obvious favourites going into Sunday’s 4:30pm clash.
That said, who is likely to be in the starting XI that will lead the Red Devils to victory?
Andre Onana will start in goal having started every Premier League game since moving to the English side.
A back three of De Ligt, Evans, and Martinez (right to left) will hopefully perform at their utmost and keep a clean sheet for United.
Casemiro and Ugarte will play through the centre. The Uruguayan thrived in Amorim’s old Sporting side, so he will be eager to get off on a positive note under the new boss. And with Casemiro arguably being United’s best player this season, his starting place is a no-brainer.
Down the flanks is sure to be Mazraoui and Dalot. Mazraoui has been unbelievable so far this term and is being considered one of the bargains of the summer by fans and critics alike. However, with nearly every other full-back still recovering from injuries, Dalot will be lucky to continue keeping his spot as he has been performing under par this season.
In the attacking midfield positions, Bruno and Rashford are set to lead the way. Bruno is such a key player to United along with being the club captain, so it is virtually impossible to drop him to the bench.
There are three options for the other spot in Rashord, Garnacho, and Amad. Garnacho and Amad have clearly had a better start to the season. However, with Rashford reportedly impressing Amorim in training this week, his inclusion will likely make most sense for the gaffer.
Finally, Hojlund will lead the Red Devils up top, hoping to increase his goal tally for the season on the back of the international break.
Ultimately, a 3-0 score to United is a very reasonable and achievable result against a struggling Ipswich side.
READ NEXT: Las Vegas Grand Prix: A high-stakes event redefining F1’s global impact
