Having gathered a hint of momentum with a vibrant Merseyside comeback, Manchester United have enhanced a momentary feel-good factor with a hard-fought 3-2 Premier League victory against Ipswich Town.
It has been anything but a comfortable transition for Ruben Amorim following his mid-season switch from Portuguese kingpins Sporting, with a barrage of scrutiny and media-sensationalism developing more than a hint of pressure.
However, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his Ineos team remain committed to their man, and a 10th victory as United chief is the perfect remedy for the 20-time English champions ahead of the business end of a tumultuous campaign.
But nothing is ever straightforward for this group, and they had to come from behind when a calamitous lack of communication between Andre Onana and Patrick Dorgu supplied a simple tap-in for Jaden Philogene after four minutes.
United responded well and earned an equaliser after 22 minutes when a Bruno Fernandes free-kick was guided home off the head of an unexpecting Samy Morsy.
The home side continued to push and took a deserved lead four minutes later following another Fernandes set piece, with Matthijs de Ligt smashing home from four yards after a goalmouth melee.
With the Manchester rain exhibiting its full power throughout the half, an unintentionally dangerous challenge from Patrick Dorgu resulted in a straight red card moments before the break.
Unfortunately for the men in red, Philogene profited immediately and brought the sides level thanks to another questionable piece of goalkeeping before time was called on a dramatic opening 45.
Fernandes was instrumental in much of United’s good work and orchestrated a third within minutes of the restart. Harry Maguire headed home another precise Portuguese set piece for his first league goal of the campaign and his third in all competitions.
Inevitably, possession proved limited when playing with 10 men, but a dogged and determined group reduced their visitors to a solitary effort on target throughout the second period.
It was far from pretty, and many questions remained unanswered, but having fought back from a two-goal deficit against Everton, this evening’s showing highlights a further desire for improvement within this squad.
Whatever about quality, Manchester United remain committed to Ruben Amorim
Kieran McKenna returned to Old Trafford following memorable stints under Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, with his Ipswich side languishing in 18th position.
Despite the visitor’s domestic struggles, the travelling contingent sensed an opportunity to upset the odds against a fragile Manchester outfit, and on a day when the Stretford End demanded a statement of intent from their men, few would have envisaged such a horrendous start.
To the immense credit of Amorim and his team, there were no signs of heads dropping. Despite an evening to forget for Onana and a frustrating red card for our new Dane, United scaled to the dizzying heights of 14th.
But make no mistake, there were positives to grasp in all of this.
Dorgu was impressive on the left flank up to his dismissal, and Joshua Zirkzee continues to grow into his withdrawn attacking role behind a struggling Rasmus Hojlund.
Fernandes was majestic again, and his side registered three goals from set pieces in a Premier League outing for the first time since a 2016 meeting with Leicester.
Additionally, having netted a solitary first-half goal in the previous 17 fixtures, this evening’s brace can go a long way towards settling a disgruntled outfit.
Amorim knows there is plenty of work to do, but character is building within his squad ahead of the visit of Fulham for Sunday’s FA Cup 5th-round meeting at Old Trafford.
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