Revealed: The four players Ruben Amorim was ‘really frustrated with’

Owen Hargreaves has revealed that Ruben Amorim was 'very frustrated' with several Manchester United players during their 1-1 Premier League draw with Ipswich Town on Sunday, his first game in charge.

United showed glimpses of potential but also fell into familiar bad habits, prompting Amorim to acknowledge that his overhaul will take a lot of time. The new manager has appealed for patience from fans, warning that the team will 'suffer for a long period' as they adapt to his tactical demands.

However, Hargreaves – who was near the technical area during the match – observed Amorim's visible dissatisfaction with the performances of several players, including Diogo Dalot, Joshua Zirkzee, Rasmus Hojlund and Marcus Rashford.

Speaking about Amorim's reactions in the dugout after the match, Hargreaves said: 'He was quite frustrated, I'm not going to lie. He was standing right in front of me and he was really, really frustrated with a lot of things. I think Dalot was initially a little frustrated with Dalot's positioning in the first half.

'I don't think he really liked the balance in midfield, and when Zirkzee came on I don't think he was too happy with his positioning and also with Hojlund. So there are a lot of things that require a little bit of work.

'Before the match we saw all those smiles and all that charm from Ruben Amorim, but during the match he was really frustrated. I think he realized this is going to be a lot harder than he expected.”

One of Hargreaves' key points was Amorim's selection in midfield, noting he was surprised 19-year-old Kobbie Mainoo remained on the bench.

Hargreaves believes Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte are likely to form Amorim's preferred midfield position. He expressed his skepticism about relying on Christian Eriksen and Casemiro together in the Premier League midfield.

“If you think you're going to play as a second midfielder in the Premier League with Eriksen and Casemiro, you're going to have a hard time,” said Hargreaves as he analyzed Man United's 1-1 draw with Ipswich.

“I thought Omari got hit every time with that half turn. Once he got the hang of it, with that close control and that low center of gravity, I thought Eriksen and Casemiro were always going to struggle, I just thought it was made for Ugarte in a way.

“I was really surprised that Kobbie Mainoo didn't come off the bench with the changes they made. Bruno Fernandes drops deeper and Marcus comes off. I think it will take some time to find out what his best team will be.”

Hargreaves also warned that United could continue to struggle unless they quickly adapted to Amorim's methods. Reflecting on the match, he praised Ipswich Town's impressive performance, while criticizing United's inability to capitalize on their strong start.

'I expected a lot more but you have to credit Ipswich Town. I thought they played brilliant football,” Hargreaves said. 'The first goal that Manchester United scored was obviously great.

'I thought: wow, what a start, two minutes later, but after that they didn't really do anything anymore. Amad plays as a right wing-back and is left-footed. I'm not sure. I think he played well today.

“I thought you'd get another one after that start, but actually I thought the team that played next was Ipswich Town. In my opinion they were by far the better team in the first half. I thought United were better in the last 20 minutes, but after that start you would think: 'let's attack'.

Hargreaves then highlighted specific positional issues, particularly with Rashford and Garnacho, and Amorim's frustration with their roles. He said, 'I thought [Alejandro] Garnacho was quite quiet, couldn't get the ball, and Ruben Amorim looked very frustrated, especially in that first half.

'I think at times Marcus didn't know where to be when the ball was in certain areas and Ruben was quite frustrated with that. I think Garnacho might come out and Marcus will play on the left.

'Even Zirkzee played as number 10 and I don't think that suited him. I think Marcus prefers to play on the left, and you could see that today. To me it seemed like four or five players playing outside their natural position and that was noticeable at times.

'When I looked at that today, I had the feeling that it didn't suit many players. I think the team will look different in a few weeks. Ugarte will come in there, Kobbie will come in there, obviously Martinez, Yoro and Shaw, who I thought looked good when he arrived.

'Without Onana they would have lost that match today. It will take some time, personnel-wise, maybe not the best with what they have, but this is how the manager wants to play and if you don't fit in you probably won't be here for long.”

Ultimately, Hargreaves believes Manchester United face a steep learning curve as Amorim attempts to implement its system, with significant challenges still ahead for the 2024-2025 season.