Højlund could be crucial to Amorim’s success at Man United

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester United is back on the rise under Ruben Amorim after Rasmus Højlund gave the Portuguese coach his first win in his new job.

On Thursday, Højlund scored twice as United came from behind to beat Bodø/Glimt 3-2 at Old Trafford in the UEFA Europa League. The game will give Amorim hope for the future and reinforce his sense that there will be much suffering along the way.

Much of the optimism will focus on Højlund, who opened the scoring with two well-executed goals on either side of half-time. His first attack was particularly impressive with a sharp touch on the ball and a volley under pressure in the penalty area. It was also crucial as United took the lead through Alejandro Garnacho just before half-time and then quickly conceded two goals.

Amorim said beforehand he was “worried” that United, one of the Premier League’s worst scorers this season, were not scoring enough goals. If Højlund manages to get online regularly, the next few weeks and months of Amorim will certainly run much more smoothly.

Amorim can also help Højlund match the mammoth £72 million that United paid Atalanta for his services. Under the previous coach Erik ten Hag, there were always questions about whether the style of football suited Højlund’s strengths.

Here he benefited twice from crosses into the penalty area, the first from Noussair Mazraoui and the second from Manuel Ugarte. It’s the kind of service Højlund craves but rarely receives under Ten Hag.

“I think he improved the connection (in the team),” Amorim said afterwards.

“He still needs to improve because sometimes he takes too many touches while holding the ball. But he is very important for us because he is the guy who holds the ball and ensures transitions. He did that very well. He has that quality.”

“He was aggressive in scoring. He was aggressive in the box and he is a first class player. He scores the most difficult goals. He still has a lot to improve, but that goes for every player. He did a great job today.”

Amorim said he had seen an improvement compared to his first game against Ipswich Town and described the reception at Old Trafford as “special” after fans unveiled a banner in his honor before kick-off and chanted his name for 90 minutes.

It feels like a new beginning, but some of the old problems are difficult to solve.

In the final 18 months of Ten Hag’s reign, United conceded two goals in four minutes at Bayern Munich, two in ten minutes against Galatasaray, two in four minutes against Copenhagen, two in nine minutes again against Galatasaray and two in seven minutes against Porto.

It’s a hard habit to break and in Amorim’s first European game they allowed Bodø/Glimt, who brought more than 6,000 fans from Norway to Manchester, to score two goals in four minutes.

Sometimes it’s like Amorim is trying to tame a wild animal. He stands on the sidelines and screams, points and pleads. He enthusiastically applauds players who follow his instructions and looks demoralized when things don’t go as expected.

He said in his first press conference since taking over that these players “give the ball away too often” and you could see the energy draining from him when they did it twice here in the first five minutes.

After an attempted move by Mason Mount was repelled by a yellow jersey early in the second half, Amorim’s shoulders sagged and his chin sank to the ground.

He hopes that the more time he spends with his new players, the mistakes will become less frequent. However, that is part of the problem.

After the game on Thursday evening against Bodø/Glimt, the team will have a rest and recovery day on Friday. The players will train on Saturday and Everton visit Old Trafford in the Premier League on Sunday.

Amorim needs time, but amid English football’s hectic schedule he is unlikely to get it. United must learn on the job.

Amorim is also learning. He will have noticed the defensive weakness that Bodø/Glimt revealed and the ongoing trend of missing golden opportunities. Garnacho and Marcus Rashford both should have scored in the final 15 minutes to put the game away.

Instead, United tired towards the end and fell behind on their own goal, despite Amorim continually urging his team to defend higher up. The ongoing message from the new coach is that it is a work in progress and will take time.

“We have improved several things since the last game,” Amorim said.

“We are improving with the ball, we are controlling the tempo more, we are pushing the team a little higher and creating more chances. We suffered in two transitions – we have to improve on that – it was like a run, but I like some things.” The team did it.

“I’m from Portugal and half of the stadium doesn’t know me. I haven’t done anything for this club yet, but the way they have supported me since the beginning makes me feel like I’m not alone now. I am one of them and I hope not to disappoint them.