'I looked back at Ruben Amorim's first game in charge of Man Utd - three things were clear'

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Ruben Amorim's answer to his offensive woes at Manchester United was glaringly obvious during his first game as manager. The Portuguese boss was given the boot on Monday after a 14-month tenure at Old Trafford.

Out of 63 matches, Amorim won 24, drew 18 and suffered 21 defeats, resulting in a dismal win rate of 31 per cent at Old Trafford. This is actually the poorest win ratio of any permanent United boss in recent times and the lowest since Frank O'Farrell took over from Matt Busby in 1971.

Amorim's average of 1.23 points per game in the Premier League is the worst of all managers at the club since Sir Alex Ferguson's departure in 2013. Despite some highlights, such as the thrilling 5-4 victory over Lyon and a 2-1 win against Liverpool this season, there were numerous low points.

Being knocked out of this year's Carabao Cup by League Two side Grimsby Town , a 1-0 defeat in the Europa League final to Tottenham , and finishing last season in 15th place in the Premier League left fans exasperated with the club's trajectory under the Portuguese.

Revisiting the 40-year-old's first match at the helm was an unusual but insightful experience, with Amorim appearing under pressure already as he stepped out in charge of the club for the first time.

Amorim's debut match was an away game at Portman Road Stadium against the now-relegated Ipswich Town. United struck first through Marcus Rashford , taking the lead within 180 seconds.

The Amorim era never quite reached the heights that lightning-quick opener appeared to suggest, however, with Omari Hutchinson bending in a spectacular effort just before the interval to equalise and leave Amorim with a frustrating solitary point on his debut.

There were numerous red flags throughout the match, but one aspect that stood out above all else was just how ruthless Rashford proved in front of goal. Since that moment, Amorim has been desperately seeking a world-class striker to spearhead his attack, yet it appears he was oblivious to one he already possessed.

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It's widely known that Rashford was cast aside from the squad and is presently on loan at Barcelona following his spell during the latter half of last campaign at Aston Villa . Indeed, Amorim declared he would prefer to field 63-year-old goalkeeping coach Jorge Vital on the substitutes' bench rather than "a player that doesn't give the maximum every day."

Now, he will no longer face that dilemma and it appears unlikely that academy product Rashford will ever make his way back to the club he's cherished throughout his life, despite flourishing in Spain with seven goals and 11 assists this season. United, as a collective, have managed just twice that tally across all competitions, having scraped together a paltry 36 goals all campaign and seemingly only possess the FA Cup as their final opportunity for silverware.

Amorim's relentless commitment to the 3-4-3 formation at United also proved to play a part in his undoing. Following the embarrassing defeat to Grimsby and a crushing 3-0 loss to Manchester City in the derby, the boss insisted he was enduring greater anguish than the supporters during this dismal spell.

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He said: "I won't change my philosophy. If they [the management] want it changed, you change the man. I am suffering more than [the fans]."

This unwavering devotion to his tactical approach was evident from his debut match against Ipswich, where the flaws were already apparent. Repeatedly, the relegation-threatened side troubled United, exploiting wide areas and delivering crosses into the penalty area with minimal resistance.

Liam Delap, who now plays for Chelsea , was presented with three golden opportunities due to woeful defending, though Andre Onana proved to be their saviour. That observation would later seem laughably ironic, given that the goalkeeper was eventually replaced by Senne Lammens after being identified as a significant weakness in their backline.

Despite investing approximately £250million since Amorim's appointment, the new arrivals failed to enhance his tactical decisions, despite the red flags being visible from day one.

One issue that would challenge any club, regardless of its stature, is selfishness and greed. Shortly after halftime against Ipswich, Alejandro Garnacho was played through on goal by Bruno Fernandes with Rashford providing an option on the right.

However, instead of making the smart move and passing the ball once he was in a scoring position, the Argentinian chose to go for glory and was swiftly tackled by Jens Cajuste, who was tracking back.

This lack of awareness cost United three points and, over time, numerous victories. Despite Garnacho's departure over the summer, the cultural issues within the United squad that Amorim faced were never fully resolved.

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Even during an impressive 4-1 victory over Wolves at Molineux last month, the issue of selfishness persisted. Amad was one player who opted for multiple shots on goal rather than choosing the smarter option of passing to a teammate for a more straightforward opportunity.

The entire squad should prioritise the team's interests over their own personal ambitions, but it became clear from Amorim's first match in charge that there will always be players who want to outshine their teammates.

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