Ruben Amorim will be travelling to Suffolk for his first taste of Premier League action confident that he can pick up a debut win as new Manchester United boss, with Kieran McKenna‘s Ipswich Town his first opponent.
However, there will also be a lingering anxiety deep within the Portuguese manager that his first game in charge could also end in an unexpected defeat, considering the Tractor Boys are just fresh off a surprise away victory at Tottenham Hotspur.
McKenna will also want to get one over on his former employers, with the Northern Irishman hopeful that his top performers in North London can turn on the style again back at Portman Road.
Key players for Ipswich vs Man United
Liam Delap will be raring to go this weekend when the Red Devils come to town, with the striker’s previous Manchester City connections perhaps working in his favour in wanting to rain on the Amorim parade.
He is also Ipswich’s most potent attacker by some distance, with six strikes registered from 11 league games, which included a tap-in finish versus Ange Postecoglou’s shellshocked hosts to make it 2-0.
Moreover, the likes of Sammie Szmodics and Leif Davis will want to terrorise Man United from minute one of the contest tomorrow, with Szmodics scoring an acrobatic bicycle kick last match, on top of providing his team with some much-needed energy down the left flank.
Likewise, Davis could be key in trying to unlock Amorim’s new side on Sunday, with the attack-oriented full-back averaging an impressive 2.5 key passes per league game this season as an option that is more than comfortable playing out from defence.
He’s also more than adept at firing home first-time strikes, with the former Leeds United product hopeful that his team can pick up their first home win of the season versus Man United, despite being underdogs.
McKenna also potentially has his very own Bruno Fernandes that he could rely on versus the Red Devils to try and cause an upset, with this attacking midfielder in question at the very top of his game versus Spurs.
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Ipswich’s very own Bruno Fernandes
Whilst McKenna attempts to field all of the attacking players he knows could cause the away side’s defence trouble, he will also need to ensure his defenders are ready for the task of keeping Fernandes at bay.
Under Ruud van Nistelrooy’s interim reign, the experienced United head sparked back into life after struggling under Erik ten Hag this season, with two goals and one assist registered in his last two Premier League outings.
Still, the Ipswich boss won’t want his side to be overwhelmed by the quality of their opponents and simply just give in, with Omari Hutchinson acting as the Tractor Boys’ very own Fernandes in their bid to pull off an unexpected win.
Much like Fernandes, Hutchinson has also been a goal and assist machine for his side in recent times, having helped himself to 11 strikes and six assists just last season as automatic promotion was clinched.
Hutchinson’s numbers vs Spurs | |
|---|---|
Stat | Hutchinson |
Minutes played | 90 |
Goals scored | 0 |
Assists | 0 |
Shots | 1 |
Touches | 56 |
Accurate passes | 23/26 (88%) |
Key passes | 1 |
Successful dribbles | 5/8 |
Total duels won | 12/23 |
Stats by Sofascore | |
Whilst the Jamaica international didn’t quite offer the same polished performance that Fernandes managed against Leicester – with a goal tallied up versus the Foxes – the Ipswich number 20 was still lively in the attacking midfield spot for his side versus Spurs, with a stunning five successful dribbles registered across the span of the 2-1 win.
Having played all of last season down the flanks, he has been pushed into the number ten spot that Fernandes stars in after promotion, and McKenna’s experiment with the 21-year-old looked to have finally worked in North London.
The Ipswich boss will just hope this wasn’t a one-off positive display, however, with Hutchinson perhaps acting as a crucial player – like Delap and Szmodics – in the Suffolk side collecting another Premier League scalp this weekend.
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