The script was written for Ruben Amorim and Manchester United after Marcus Rashford put them 1-0 up after 90 seconds against Ipswich on Sunday.
A brave new era under an up-and-coming head coach would set them on the path to glory. United were back.
Of course, those expectations would have dampened less than 45 minutes later when Omari Hutchinson curled in a deserved equaliser for Kieran McKenna’s team just before half-time. Amorim would have gone into the dressing room knowing his side needed major improvements to get all three points.
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Those improvements never came and it ended up being a rather disappointing 1-1 draw against relegation strugglers. But that may not be a bad thing.
If anyone was under any illusions over how much work Amorim needs to do if United are to challenge, they got it at Portman Road. There is no quick fix at Old Trafford and the new Portuguese boss will be well aware of that.
Obviously, a convincing win would have been great but it may suit Amorim that excitement has slightly dampened. The fact that no one is getting carried away will allow United to focus on improving.
There have been too many false dawns over the past decade. Bright starts under previous managers have led many to believe that United are on the road back to glory.
But a reality check away at a team who sit in the relegation zone will serve notice to the fact that there’s a long road back. Yes, Amorim has only had a few days to work with the majority of his squad after the international break.
It should also be noted that there are several players still not fully fit such as Leny Yoro, or just coming back from long layoffs like Luke Shaw. And yet, it was a result entirely in keeping with what most have come to expect when watching the Reds play.
This is a group of individuals who are far from being a well-oiled, winning machine. No manager can fix that after just a few days. Amorim will hope that expectation levels have dropped and he can now focus on the long road to getting United back to the top again.
