As Manchester United’s new head coach walked across to salute the away section here at Portman Road, a young fan held up a card reading “Good luck, Ruben Amorim, make our team great again”.
The lad didn’t put a time-scale on it, sensibly.
Amorim will have seen the extent of work required in reviving United. Major.
The 39-year-old pointed out that he’d had only two days to work with some of his players who were off on international duty.
Time, patience and strengthening are required.
“I know the fans are frustrated, but there’s a lot to change,” he said. “We are going to suffer for a long time.”
They would have suffered more in Suffolk, but for the reflexes
of Andre Onana.
There were positives, an electric start in which Amad Diallo tore down the right past Jens Cajuste and Leif Davis before crossing towards Marcus Rashford.
He darted between Dara O’Shea and Axel Tuanzebe to steer Amad’s perfect ball past Arijanet Muric.
The clock showed one minute and 21 seconds and the Age of Amorim looked up and running.
United were swifter breaking forward, and Diogo Dalot and Alejandro Garnacho had also hared into the box with Rashford when Amad’s cross came in.
United seemed comfortable in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 system. For a while, they pressed with more urgency than they had under Erik ten Hag.
They got the ball forward quicker. They took advice from Amorim, clearly a coach keen on communicating with his players during the game.
He spoke to Dalot, and then Jonny Evans, at 36 only three years younger than his new manager.
He talked to Garnacho and Casemiro. United fans sang Amorim’s name loudly. All seemed well.
But old flaws overshadowed the new era. The suffering began. Ipswich looked fitter, hungrier. Kieran McKenna’s players ran six kilometres more than United’s 102km.
They pressed harder. Forget Tractor Boys, Sammie Szmodics was more like a threshing machine advancing on Noussair Mazraoui at times.
Ipswich were more mobile in central midfield than Christian Eriksen and Casemiro.
They had the man of the match in Omari Hutchinson, who was full of good ideas and stamina and a very good touch.
United struggled to keep him at bay, especially Casemiro who was far to slow to react to Hutchinson’s run two minutes before the break.
Hutchinson continued across the edge of the area, and sent an unstoppable left-foot shot touching Mazraoui’s head almost tauntingly as it sped into Onana’s net.
There was a surprise that Amorim didn’t make a change at half-time.
He could have made a statement, showing the ruthlessness that he’d spoken about. United needed a more mobile, responsive unit in midfield.
Manuel Ugarte, who’d returned from Uruguay duty only on Thursday morning, was urgently needed and he did arrive for Casemiro 11 minutes into the second period.
Luke Shaw replaced Evans at the same time, and reminded everyone of his defensive strengths in his first United appearance since February 18.
Eriksen was withdrawn for Joshua Zirkzee, whose usefulness to United is difficult to ascertain.
Rasmus Hojlund replaced Rashford, who failed to maintain his bright start.
Rashford made a couple of decent runs, and set up a chance for Bruno Fernandes, but seemed to retreat into himself. Frustrating.
There’s a very good player in Rashford, but it is the work out of possession that remains also an issue.
The goal apart, the contrast with Liam Delap was obvious.
Delap lacks Rashford’s burning pace, but his commitment is supreme, his desire to give Evans, Mattijs de Ligt and Mazrouai a hard time was relentless, and then transferring his energies to Shaw.
He almost scored after 54 minutes with a Cruyff flick, but Onana saved.
Amorim’s final change was Mason Mount for Garnacho. The names changed, but the system remained the same. Bruno Fernandes dropped back alongside Ugarte.
Zirkzee and Garnacho, then Mount were behind Hojlund. Amorim will drill and drill his players at Carrington in 3-4-2-1 until they fully absorb it individually and collectively.
Some will be moved on, surely Zirkzee and Antony for starters.
The squad needs rejuvenating and Casemiro, 32, will surely leave in the summer, a year early.
Kobbie Mainoo surely deserves a chance alongside Ugarte as defensive midfielders.
Mainoo brings a good pass under pressure that United need as well as his ball-repossession work.
It was impossible to watch United and not think they need substantial strengthening in the transfer market before the suffering stops.
For Ipswich, they know they have a chance of staying up if they continue to play like this.
Along with the plaudits bestowed on Hutchinson, Delap and Szmodics, Sam Morsy and Leif Davis were tireless contributors.
Three years ago this weekend, Ipswich were losing 2-0 to Rotherham here in front of 18,221 in League One.
With an inspirational manager in McKenna, look at them now.
Portman Road shook with pride and emotion as Ipswich attacked the Sir Alf Ramsey stand and then the Sir Bobby Robson stand.
Ipswich are in good hands again.
United fans rightly believe that their team is with Amorim, but there will be more suffering first.
