In fact, I think there's nothing for him to takeaway.
There was absolutely nothing in that performance against Chelsea that suggested to me that the incoming manager has something to work with.
Understandably, under an interim boss, you don't really know what you're going to get in terms of the tactics, setup, substitutions and so on.
But as this is Man Utd and as has been the case for many years, whenever a manager is sacked, we inevitably see some great football which make us all think that perhaps it was the manager who was responsible for the poor performances and results all along.
Since this has been the case for so long however, I don't think any (or many) are fooled by this anymore. I think a lot of people kind of expect it that these players will go out there and put on a masterclass that gives us the hope that maybe the good times will be returning soon.
We're then let at down some point down the road with the team reverting to their default settings of being untrustworthy and shite.
But I suppose this was the surprising thing about yesterday's draw with Chelsea: we didn't see this masterclass performance. We didn't see this new manager bounce.
Winning 5-2 at home against Leicester reserves in the Carabao Cup is hardly a new manager bounce as the only real difference in that game was United taking their chances, something they failed at regularly under previous manager Erik ten Hag.
The performance was similar against Chelsea but with fewer opportunities and coming up against a better opponent, was just tougher all round to play anything like we did last Wednesday.
This begs the question of, what does Ruben Amorim have to work with once he joins in a couple of weeks?
I saw absolutely fuck all for him in these two performances that would suggest that this squad he's going to have to work with (at least for the remainder of the season) can play how the new manager wants.
Amorim's style is very high octane and possession-based with a lot of simple pass and move stuff. He likes his teams to keep a lot of the ball and not try too many extravagent passes or shots.
Sporting average 65% possession whereas United's is 53% this season. A lot of this high possession has to do with box midfields and trying to congest that area of the pitch in order to win back possession quickly as well as retain the ball with quick passes between players; their defensive line is quite high; and they counter-press superbly, all factors that allow them to play his ideal style.
United do none of these things.
Our defensive line is higher than before but in midfield, we don't keep the ball well enough, it's not tight enough as the opposition always has loads of time and space and also, we love a Hollywood pass. Instead of simple, quick, on the ground exchanges, it is something more flamboyant.
That is not the Amorim way.
We shouldn't be expecting too much from Ruud because he is an interim but also, we shouldn't have expected too much change in terms of style. He was assistant to Erik ten Hag. I'm sure that the two of them agreed on the style a lot of the time which is why we didn't see much alterations in Ruud's two matches.
However, even if the style is the same, surely as a player you would be giving your everything so as to impress the new manager and hope that he finds a way of fitting you into his team?
The defence and certainly Mazraoui are the only players that I look at and think, you've got a chance under Amorim. Everyone else, absolutely not.
Even the work rate at times was lacking particularly from the wingers. Both Rashford and Garnacho displayed a lack of intensity and tracking back and should they want to be a part of Amorim's 3-4-3 in which he uses wing-backs who are up and down the pitch all game, they will have to up their game tenfold.
I'm not sure he will be too impressed with them.
Even the player he made, Manuel Ugarte, had such a poor game. On the ball, he must have wanted a transfer because he passed the ball to Chelsea more than United.
In and out of possession needs so much work.
Sporting are also quite clinical and free scoring up front. Amorim's side have put the ball in the back of the net 48 times this season in just 16 games. That is an average of 3 goals a game! Striker Victor Gyokeres has 16 all by himself and has a better goal-per-game ratio than Erling Haaland, Robert Lewandowski and Harry Kane (TNT Sports).
Whatever you make of the Portuguese league, these numbers are still ridiculous.
And if you look at a lot of their goals, particularly from the striker, they are team goals that are well worked. They also like to put a lot of balls in the box, something that we don't do enough.
I will say that we have improved in terms of that chance creation this season but when we miss them, what's the point?
Garnacho and Bruno had two great opportunities in the second half to put United in the lead. Rashford also hit the bar from a shot that we should be expecting better from him.
One of the tables United top this season is big chances missed. That is an improvement in itself but again, what's the point if you keep missing? After yesterday's draw, we overtook Liverpool and sit on 25, 3 more than our rivals.
We've also only scored 9 in the league this season, our lowest since the 73/74 season. We were relegated that year (Sky Sports Premier League).
Notice how I didn't mention Hojlund with these missed opportunities?
That's because we don't create for the striker. Our players are much too selfish especially from out wide and instead try to score themselves when they should be squaring it or looking for the pass.
When looking at the most shots by United players this season, it follows a familiar pattern from the past.
Most Shots for United in the league:
1. Bruno Fernandes - 32
2. Alejandro Garnacho - 29
3. Casemiro - 14
4. Joshua Zirkzee - 11
5. Marcus Rashford - 10
6. Amad - 8
7. Lisandro Martinez - 7
8. Matthijs De Ligt - 6
9. Rasmus Hojlund - 4
I know that Hojlund missed a chunk of the campaign early on through injury, but even still for our main striker to have only had 4 shots at goal all season in his 6 appearances is embarrassing from United. De Ligt and Martinez have more than him 🙃.
Zirkzee as the backup striker does have more than Hojlund (but has played more) but just 11 compared to Bruno at 32 and Garnacho at 29 is just stupid. Casemiro out-shooting him is even worse.
This is why it's redundant when it comes to who the striker is. We hardly look for him. Bringing in Gyokeres is what most people want but what difference is he going to make if he isn't getting the service?
This was a problem for Ronaldo, Cavani and Martial previously, and for Hojlund and Zirkzee currently. At least give them the opportunities before we make an assumption that they're not good enough strikers for United. Goals are what it's based on for them. We don't create enough for the centre-forward to miss.
Amorim will need to work overtime in order to get this team playing how he wants. Defensively, may not be too bad for him but everywhere else, cor blimey.
Although we needed the new manager bounce so that we played well and perhaps won, I think not seeing it against Chelsea was a blessing in disguise.
Should we have done so, a lot of people will start to believe that it really was all on Erik ten Hag. Having scored 5 in the first game post his sacking and then playing well and beating Chelsea, that may have gotten these players off the hook with a lot of the blame going on the previous manager.
Like this, it is clearer to see that it wasn't all on ten Hag. These players have to be properly assessed by Amorim as should he want to be successful at United, there are quite a few that need to be moved on. For differing reasons.
Do you see anything with this United squad that would suggest to you that they have what it takes to play Amorim ball?
Background Images: Alejandro Garnacho was poor in the 1-1 draw against Chelsea | Creator: PAUL ELLIS | Credit: AFP via Getty Images Copyright: AFP or licensors - Goal