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Manchester United were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw in Ruben Amorim’s first match as head coach.
United got a fairytale start to proceedings, as Marcus Rashford grabbed an early opener. However, Ipswich steadily got into the game and were rewarded moments before the break, as Omari Hutchninson’s effort deflected off Noussair Mazraoui to head into the back of the net.
Both sides eventually had to settle for a share of the spoils.
Amorim’s men had 60% possession in comparison to Ipswich’s 40% share of the ball. The visitors managed just four shots on target from their total 11 cracks at goals. Ipswich on the other hand, also fired 11 total shots, with six of these requiring Andre Onana to intervene.
United put together 644 passes with a pass accuracy of 87%. The Tractor Boys strung 421 passes with a success rate of 82%.
Many of United’s players were very underwhelming, including Alejandro Garnacho. Garnacho was deployed in a left-wing-back role and he struggled to impress.
During the time he was on the pitch before his late substitution, the Argentine registered two shots, one on-target and the other off-target. He also missed one big chance – almost immediately after the restart – that could have put United in the driving seat once again.
He embarked on one dribble, which he failed to complete.
Garnacho touched the ball on 42 occasions and found his teammates with 24 of the 27 passes he attempted.
He failed to make a key pass or put in a cross. He attempted to connect with three long balls but only found his target once.
The Carrington academy graduate struggled with the demands of a largely unfamiliar wing-back position, winning just three of the 10 ground duels he delved into and losing the single aerial challenge he was required to contest.
He lost possession of the ball eight times and committed two fouls. He was dribbled past once.
Garnacho made one clearance and as many tackles.
(Stats obtained from Sofascore)
If Amorim is to persist with the 20-year-old on that part of the pitch, then it’s abundantly clear that there is a lot of work to be done on the training ground to get him accustomed to it.
Featured image Stephen Pond via Getty Images