Ruben Amorim reaction to Manchester United player shows he is starting to get what he wants

Edric Connor's dulcet tones crooned the Manchester United Calypso on the Old Trafford airwaves before kick-off. The football taught now is by Ruben Amorim.

United navigated six changes, a half-time substitution, brief switches in formation and a one-goal deficit to secure a first win under Amorim. This United is a work in progress and sterner tests await.

The players had to think on their feet against the underrated Bodo/Glimt, a team that riled Jose Mourinho a few years ago. United will likely encounter more obdurate opponents in unambitious Everton on Sunday in a very different examination.

Andre Onana resorted to time-wasting before added time and Amorim, ever present in the technical area, was often anxiously on his haunches. The referee charitably added only three more minutes. Casemiro diced with death outside his area with a handball. Onana punched Patrick Berg's free-kick away.

READ MORE: Ratings vs Bodo/Glimt as Hojlund good

READ MORE: United vs Bodo/Glimt as it happened

The 3-4-3 system was not entirely abandoned but United switched to a more conventional, tried and trusted back four without the ball after sieving two goals in the first half. Ironically, they ended the contest without a centre back on the pitch as Casemiro replaced the cumbersome Matthijs de Ligt.

Amorim dicily decided to make all five substitutions before the 70-minute mark. Out of possession, the back four ended up as Noussair Mazraoui, Casemiro, Luke Shaw and Diogo Dalot.

Casemiro's lax reaction to Dalot's loose pass played Andre Onana into trouble. Bodo's staff in their dugout and the analysts in the press box were up in arms after the ball hit Onana's hand outside the area in the 76th minute.

Amorim's maiden victory was made possible by one of his changes. Rasmus Hojlund doubled his tally for the campaign and Alejandro Garnacho's first-minute goal was down to Hojlund's hard yards to leave the Argentine with a vacant net. Hojlund's involvement in all three goals - pressing, technique and instinct - showcased different qualities United need to see more often from their number nine.

Hojlund received that number over Joshua Zirkzee for several reasons and he is on trial over the next six months to gauge whether a prolific goalscorer-in-making is currently on United's books. This was an uplifting night for the Dane against the Norwegians.

Amorim expected a good challenge from Bodo due to their work-rate and Mason Mount was one of the busiest in red. He earned a bullish chest-bump and pat from his coach when he made way. Slowly, Amorim is getting what he wants. This was Mount's first start in 96 days and he acquitted himself promisingly in a position and system he is familiar with from Thomas Tuchel's tenure at Chelsea.

David Moyes received an undeserved fixed banner on the Stretford End 11 years ago. The 'Bem-vindo a casa Ruben' - welcome home Ruben - tricolor that was unfurled in the stand's first tier is temporary. The 'a casa' was barely readable due to the slanted unveiling.

European nights are still relatively low key, even for a United manager or head coach's debut. There was warm, if not rapturous, applause for Amorim upon his emergence.

The United followers were louder 48 seconds into the contest. Amorim barely celebrated Garnacho's goal and instead coolly took a swig from a water bottle on a night many donned thermals inside the ground.

Garnacho's goal was his eighth of a decent campaign. He will feel he should have already broken double figures and surpassed his ten-goal haul of last season. There were two more presentable opportunities where he failed to hit the target. Perhaps fortunate to retain his place amid six changes, he still continued his penchant for following up a negative performance with a positive one in under a minute.

Hojlund merits the credit for forcing the appalling error from goalkeeper Nikita Haikin through pressing. That is something Marcus Rashford seldom offers and Hojlund, for all his shortcomings, is a workaholic who runs himself into the ground.

Manuel Ugarte was paired with a different midfielder in Bruno Fernandes, relocated to a deeper position. Amorim urged the midfield duo not to become too detached from the back three yet minutes later the gap was too wide when United were brilliantly breached by Hakon Evjen for the equaliser. Onana complained the defensive shield was inadequate and he had a point.

This was Tyrell Malacia's first start in 550 days and it was too soon. It may crush Malacia's confidence that he was outpaced so effortlessly by Philip Zinckernagel as he put Bodo ahead. That was the first true endurance test for Malacia since his recovery from two knee operations and he was patently slower than before he went under the knife.

De Ligt, another Dutch arrival under Erik ten Hag, inexplicably failed to anticipate Zinckernagel's superiority. By the time he slid in, the ball was goalbound. Amorim directed his ire at Lisandro Martinez for going walkabout and leaving Malacia exposed. Amorim reached for the water bottle again and this time had to keep his cool. Or resist kicking it. Malacia made way for Dalot at the interval.

By the 29th minute, Bodo fans were chanting 'Olé'. Antony and Manuel Ugarte irked the United supporters with backward passes. Mazraoui, a hitherto successful signing by Ten Hag, ensured the half-time shrill would not be soundtracked to boos with some nifty footwork and cross for Hojlund to score. He started the second half as he ended the first with another.

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