Manchester United secured a crucial 3-2 victory over Ipswich Town on Wednesday night, but the performance left a lot to be desired.
The Red Devils had to dig deep after falling behind early.
They then lost Patrick Dorgu to a straight red card before half-time.
Rio Ferdinand was left unimpressed by United’s display, calling out handful of players as not being suited to Amorim’s philosophy.
The former United defender suggested Matthijs de Ligt, Harry Maguire, Joshua Zirkzee, and Rasmus Hojlund lacked the physicality and mobility Amorim demands.
Ruben Amorim comments on Alejandro Garnacho situation
Beyond the team’s struggles, Alejandro Garnacho’s reaction to being substituted became a major talking point.
With United down to 10 men, Amorim sacrificed Garnacho in the closing stages of the first half to bring on Noussair Mazraoui and adjust to a more defensive shape.
Garnacho, who had looked like one of United’s most dangerous attacking threats, was visibly upset with the decision.
The 20-year-old ignored Amorim as he walked off and went straight down the tunnel, avoiding eye contact with his manager.
After the match, Amorim acknowledged the situation and confirmed he would speak with Garnacho about his reaction.
“You are making a connection with Rashford, right? I know, I know,” Amorim said when asked about the substitution.
“I’m obviously going to talk with Garnacho about that.
“So I will probably talk about that if you want in the next press conference.”
Amorim explained his reasoning behind the decision.
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Ruben Amorim stated that United needed more defensive stability after going down to 10 men.
“The thinking was we’d play more in the 5-3-1.
“I know that is a risk because you are taking maybe the only player who has one-against-one pace,” he said.
“But I felt the team was OK in the controlling of the game, almost at half-time.
“Then, you make the substitution.
“We have to choose someone to go out, we have to think about set pieces also, so it was my choice.”
Garnacho fuelled further speculation after the match by posting a cryptic image on Instagram, showing his frustration.
It’s not the first time the Argentine has made headlines for his touchline reactions under Amorim this season.
Earlier in the campaign, he reportedly showed dissent towards Amorim during a game against Viktoria Plzen, leading to a seven-match exile from the starting lineup.
With tensions simmering again, all eyes will be on Amorim’s next move as he looks to manage the situation carefully.
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