Marcus Rashford will NEVER be a No.9 & Casemiro's legs are long gone! Six things Ruben Amorim learned in first Man Utd game as plucky Ipswich expose size of the task ahead

Rashford has played up front for United in the past, and scored goals, so it wasn't a surprise to see him poke home the opening goal at Portman Road, after busting a gut to get on the end of a searching Amad Diallo cross. But the position doesn't come naturally to him; that much was evident again for the remaining 66 minutes he was on the pitch.

Rashford didn't have another meaningful moment in the game, touching the ball just 13 times overall. He didn't really show for the ball in United's build-up play and rarely looked to run in behind the Ipswich defence again.

Amorim cannot overlook all of that just because Rashford scored the goal. That was only his second in the Premier League this season, and there is no evidence to suggest a prolific run of form is on the horizon. Rashford is as useless as a No.9 as he has been on the left wing for United over the past 17 months, that's the harsh truth.

Granted, Rasmus Hojlund didn't impress after replacing him either, but the Dane should be starting through the middle, if for no other reason than he will at least compete. On current form, Rashford is not offering anything to this United team. He belongs on the bench, and in an ideal world, the INEOS recruitment team will already be exploring the possibility of getting the fallen academy star off the club's books in 2025.

On the plus side, United did look quite solid - for the most part. Matthijs de Ligt was a figure of strength and calm, while Noussair Mazraoui's technical quality shone through once again.

But there was a weak link in Amorim's back three, as Jonny Evans struggled with the pace and intensity of the game. Omari Hutchinson was United's chief tormentor in the first half, which was purely because Evans neglected his pressing duties.

At 36, Evans really shouldn't be starting games regularly anymore. It was no surprise when Amorim took him off early in the second half, and Luke Shaw immediately firmed up that left-hand side after his introduction.

Despite his injury problems, Shaw is still a quick, robust defender who reads the game brilliantly, and United are a much better team when he's available. Mazraoui, De Ligt and Shaw certainly have all the makings of a formidable defensive triumvirate; the latter just has to stay fit now.

History suggests that's unlikely, but Amorim and the United medical team have to make Shaw's conditioning a priority concern, at least until the January transfer window opens and they can sign a decent back-up.

Casemiro's 100th game in a United shirt was not one to remember. The Real Madrid legend seemed to have his mojo back under interim manager Ruud van Nistelrooy, but he didn't put in nearly as much effort for Amorim on Sunday.

Christian Eriksen didn't cover himself in glory in the double pivot either, but at least he worked hard. Casemiro trudged around like his selection for the game was an inconvenience, perhaps in response to Amorim breaking up the partnership he'd been developing with Manuel Ugarte. He lost possession seven times and made only one tackle before being hauled off in the 56th minute.

This was the same version of Casemiro that let United down so often last season, and in the 3-0 home defeat to Liverpool on September 1. Some sort of physical decline is to be expected for a 32-year-old, but there is no excuse for his disinterested body language, or failure to do the basics.

Casemiro legs are long gone, and if Ugarte isn't there to cover for him, he's completely ineffective. Amorim shouldn't hesitate to drop the Brazilian after such a dire display, especially now that Kobbie Mainoo is back from an injury layoff.

Bruno Fernandes has been United's best player in the last four years. He's also club captain, and signed a new three-year deal in August, which means Amorim has to fit him into his team somehow.

But that may not be on the right of United's attack. Fernandes played the full 90 minutes against Ipswich, but wasn't able to exert his usual influence on proceedings. As always with Fernandes, there was plenty of endeavour, but very little end product, especially in the first half.

His passing was more polished, though, as he posted a 92 percent completion rate, which is what Amorim focused on after the game. "He improved his game by playing near the ball," the United head coach told Sky Sports, "so he can give us the long pass, but you cannot put him there all the time because he wants the long pass all the time."

In other words, Amorim doesn't want Fernandes to take as many risks. They didn't come off enough under Erik ten Hag, that's true enough, but it seems counter-productive to completely restrict his natural instincts. The freedom of expression that comes with being a false nine might suit Fernandes better, and give him the opportunity to really flex his underrated goal-scoring muscles.

Alternatively, Fernandes could also operate as a traditional No.8, which is deep enough for him to scratch his playmaker itch, but not so deep that Amorim's fears over his impulsivity are realised. It's not beyond the realms of possibility that Fernandes settles into the position Amorim chose for him on Sunday either, but some experimentation may be needed on the training pitch in the coming weeks to work out how to bring out his maximum.

Amad was also asked to play in a new position against Ipswich, slotting in at right-wing back behind Fernandes. Amorim must have been delighted to see the tactical shift pay off so early, as Amad embarked on a dazzling run from the middle of his own half through to the Ipswich box before putting the ball on a plate for Rashford to open the scoring.

Unfortunately, that would turn out to be the only real moment of magic United produced on the day, and one of the few times that Amad bombed into the attacking third. The Ivorian was still one of United's better performers, but his main focus was on maintaining discipline to prevent Ipswich from getting through on the left.

Amad was caught out of position on the odd occasion, and a better team would have punished him. That's something to work on if he remains in that position, but it feels like a waste. United don't have another player who can put defences on the backfoot quite like the 22-year-old.

Alejandro Garnacho has similar ability, but is far less polished. On Sunday, the Argentine's poor decision-making and execution prematurely ended several promising openings, and he was lucky to stay on for 86 minutes. Until he matures, the 20-year-old may best serve Amorim as an impact substitute, when he has more space to operate against tired legs.

There's no contest if it's a case of choosing between Amad and Garnacho for the left-side slot in the front three. Amad has the potential to be United's gamechanger, but he must be further up the pitch.

Amorim will come away from his first United game with confidence in only a select few outfielders, but at least he has nothing to worry about between the sticks.

Onana made five saves at Portman Road, including two awe-inspiring, instinctive close-range blocks to deny Liam Delap. On both occasions, the Cameroon international was quick off his line and made himself big to cut out the danger. It was the kind of world-class goalkeeping supporters expected after his big-money move from Inter.

In his debut season at Old Trafford, Onana didn't show the same level of courage. He wasn't decisive in those moments and inspired confusion instead of confidence in the defence. But now, he's starting to look like the classy all-rounder who underpinned Inter's success in the 2023-24 Champions League.

There is a strong base for Amorim to work with because of the improvements Onana has made in his game over the last few months. United will probably need the 28-year-old to bail them out a few more times before the rest of the squad adjusts to Amorim's methods, but he's proven he's up to the task.