Comebacks is in the blood of Manchester United so it was apt that the team came back from going a goal down to win the game and Sir Alex Ferguson was in attendance.
There were no late heroics but they weren’t needed because United scored early in both halves, and Hojlund’s scoring late in the first half was enough to give them three goals and three points.
Of all the changes Amorin has brought to Old Trafford, many of which will take time to flourish, one has been instantly visible and the difference is night and day.
Ruben Amorim’s instant impact at Man Utd
Anyone who watched Sporting even semi-regularly under Amorim knew they were one of the fittest teams in the league which led to many late winners.
That wasn’t needed vs Bodo and didn’t arrive vs Ipswich but fitness is something that can’t be fixed in a week.
Therefore, it might be a while before Man Utd fans see their team pummeling the opposition into the ground through a sheer physical advantage as Sporting did.
However, what can be fixed quickly, and in this case, looks like it’s done already, is the quick start that the team looks to have made a habit of.
United scored in under two minutes vs Ipswich, under a minute vs Bodo, and within seven minutes of the second half against the same opposition.
Therefore, in four halves of football under Amorim, United have made an almost instant impact in three of those, something which Sporting did regularly as well. That’s a remarkable 75% success rate in a small sample size.
Right away, he has installed a great habit of starting fast and catching the opposition out with a quick goal. It won’t always work but just the threat of it can sometimes allow United to take control of the game early on.
Huge difference under Erik ten Hag
The sample size under Amorim is obviously extremely small to extrapolate and compare to more than two seasons under Ten Hag but a broader view can be taken.
Under the Dutchman, the team had almost become infamous for not scoring in the first half, let alone scoring goals right off the bat.
United often chased games or grabbed some late goals here and there to put a drape over the wider issues at the club that ultimately cost Ten Hag his job.
Even when they did and raced into a lead, there would be an inevitable collapse, and points were dropped which was another thing that was fixed in the game vs Bodo.
The “Ten Hag deja vu” was strong after Bodo scored twice in four minutes to turn the game on its head but instead of huffing and puffing their way to more dropped points, United turned up the pressure.
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