“Ruben Amorim, Ruben Amorim, nananaanananaaa” chorused the jubilant Manchester United fans following the impressive Joshua Zirkzee’s second goal. Sung to the melody of KC and the Sunshine Band’s Give It Up, this was the last thing the new manager’s players did: fail to go after any apparent lost cause just in case gold could be mined.
It was how Zirkzee struck United’s fourth. From deep in his area the replacement Luke Shaw headed out. The ball came to Amad Diallo who rolled it along the right wing into space. Over thundered Marcus Rashford who failed to connect but, when the ball was passed back to James Tarkowski, there was Diallo harrying. Everton’s captain dawdled, the right wingback pilfered possession, sprinted ahead, squared left to United’s centre-forward, and he rammed home.
Beforehand, Amorim explained why, after parachuting in with 11 Premier League games of the season gone, United are instantly playing his 3-4-3. “That would only postpone our problems,” the new manager said, meaning that whatever is suffered short term would allow jam tomorrow.
On Sunday there was delight only. Rashford, too, scored twice, and though United were not perfect, Amorim’s unit was energetic and, as vitally, up for what their new manager demands.
The best coaches always improve players and Zirkzee may become exhibit A of the Portuguese’s smarts if this performance is replicated weekly. The Dutchman’s nascent United career had already been questioned yet the offering on Sunday showed a fine technician and bravery in receiving despite knowing an ankle chopping was always incoming.
If Amorim’s three games in charge have bedded him to his on-field task, the fan protest against the club’s ticket price hike – to a minimum £66 for child or adult – offers the same for the surrounding, never-ending subplots of the United soap opera. Held before kickoff at the Trinity statue, supporters’ ire was directed at Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is responsible for the dizzying rise with junior admission having been £25.
They urged the minority owner to “sell United and fuck off home” and informed him “we want our club back”. This was the polar opposite of the affection directed at Amorim as he oversaw what was a succession of chances from first kick to last.
Kobbie Mainoo, one of six changes, let fly at Pickford. Zirkzee, also starting for the first time under Amorim, dropped back to execute a sharp shoe-shuffle and sprayed the ball wide. Suddenly United were near the Toffees area and we saw how Amorim-ball is designed to hurt.
Everton were bogged down in the middle third as red shirts would crowd around, nick the ball, and launch another raid. This was the pattern when Bruno Fernandes received on the left and struck a pass with the outside of his right boot. In ran Rashford whose attempted chip of an onrushing Pickford failed.
So, too, did Matthijs de Ligt’s go at stopping the pacy Beto as he latched onto Dwight McNeil’s threaded pass. So, the centre-back continued on, made himself a nuisance as the No 9 tried to round his goalkeeper, Andre Onana, and United escaped.
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Everton did not when Fernandes swung in a corner. A training ground routine, the ball was floated to an in-jogging Rashford, whose half-volley appeared goalward before Jarrad Branthwaite stuck out a leg and deflected it past Pickford.
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Zirkzee’s second for the club was a product of what might be named the “Amorim press” – Branthwaite, again, the patsy. This time he hesitated, Diallo rushed him, nabbed the ball, Fernandes took over and, entering Everton’s area, fed Zirkzee: the 6ft 4in striker surged forward to smash in a left-footed finish.
The same urgency was evident in United’s thirdin the second half. The ball was played to Pickford who hoofed upfield and Amorim’s men took over. Zirkzee collected and swivelled and passed to Diallo who burned forward and fed the overlapping Rashford: an instant hit beat Pickford and that was the No 10’s first double in United colours since February 2023.
Later, Fernandes, one of Amorim’s five substitutions, sat with an ice pack on his left foot. A worry for the captain and United but the wider picture is how this was a fine day for the Amorim project: a victory of dominance in the 39-year-old’s first home league outing.
