Manchester United temporarily sits 5th with a 1-0 win! Amorin’s tactical change faces Newcastle, revealing one player’s clear desire to leave

Manchester United hosted Newcastle United on Boxing Day, with Rúben Amorim using a formal four-defender setup for the first time, clinching a 1-0 win that ended their three home games without victory since October, moving them up to fifth place. British media humorously noted that Amorim not only changed the formation but also altered his fate. In this match, United resembled last round’s Aston Villa, while Newcastle played with a style reminiscent of United, making the game quite abstract.

This was Amorim’s first time in 13 months as head coach to start with a 4-2-3-1 formation. Luke Shaw returned to left-back, while Patrick Dogu reprised his Serie A Lecce role as a right winger, strengthening the right flank alongside Diogo Dalot. Cunha and Mason Mount replaced the injured Bruno Fernandes to organize the attack.

Interestingly, Amorim once said that even the Pope couldn’t persuade him to abandon the 3-4-3 system; ironically, Newcastle’s goalkeeper Nick Pope, whose surname means “Pope,” sat beside him on the away bench.

This tactical shift may have caught Newcastle off guard, as pre-match training still featured a three-center-back formation with Lisandro Martínez positioned as right center-back, a deliberate feint. Shortly after kickoff, Newcastle goalkeeper Ramsdale went down requesting medical attention, which Manchester United legend Gary Neville suspected was a tactical injury to facilitate Eddie Howe’s instructions against Amorim’s new setup.

Both sides attacked in the first half, with impressive saves from Newcastle’s Ramsdale and Manchester United’s Sena Lamens. The standout was Danish winger Dogu, who, in the 24th minute, scored his first goal in 38 appearances for the Red Devils with a left-footed volley after Diogo Dalot’s left-side throw-in was headed clear by Newcastle’s Nick Wolter-Maed. It was as if Zidane possessed him.

This season in the Premier League, Manchester United has scored 13 goals from non-penalty set pieces, the highest in the league. This also marks the most league goals from set pieces in a single season for the Red Devils since 2017/18, when they scored 15 such goals.

United went into halftime leading by one goal, but Amorim began making moves in the second half. One of the season’s most consistent players, Mount, was substituted due to injury. Amorim explained afterward: “He felt discomfort at halftime. Although he wanted to continue, we couldn’t risk losing more players. If he’s not at 100%, problems are more likely. Jack (Fletcher) came on and did very well.”

In the second half, the Red Devils reverted to a three-center-back formation, or at times even a six-defender setup. Amorim might be haunted by past experiences, as data shows Manchester United has failed to win all five matches this season where they scored first.

Hindsight suggests Amorim’s somewhat cautious tactical adjustment may have helped the team cling to their one-goal advantage and secure their second clean sheet this season. However, United appeared very passive on the pitch, under intense pressure from Newcastle, causing fans considerable anxiety.

When Casemiro was substituted, he could hardly believe it. “Fat Tiger” was rested last round against Villa and should have been physically fresh, yet Amorim still chose to take him off, possibly to preserve energy for next week’s match against bottom-placed Wolves?

Manchester United had chances to extend their lead, but Sheshko’s left-foot shot after a frontcourt interception was denied by the crossbar. Two minutes later, Newcastle responded with a long-range strike from fullback Lewis Hall that also hit the crossbar, showing both teams’ shooting skills were evenly matched.

In fact, Newcastle’s shooting was less effective than United’s. They had 16 shots, nearly double United’s nine, but only three were on target. Interestingly, Newcastle’s coach Eddie Howe revived a classic tactic from the 0-1 loss to Everton: after substituting German striker Wolter-Maed in the 68th minute, he ordered the team to flood the box with crosses!

In contrast, although Amorim’s substitutions were criticized, Manchester United players showed great fighting spirit, with even one of the “Five Mice,” Tyrell Malacia, stepping onto the pitch. The team ultimately kept a clean sheet. Notably, both of United’s clean sheets this season came against northeastern teams, the other being Newcastle’s fierce rival Sunderland.

The hearts of Old Trafford fans raced when VAR intervened after Lima’s suspected handball. Fortunately, it was ruled that the ball rebounded off the arm, which by the rules is not a penalty. Referee Anthony Taylor signaled for play to continue.

Dalot missed another chance to secure the win early when he received Lima’s long pass but chipped the ball over the crossbar. Luckily, this did not prevent Manchester United from winning, as Newcastle’s shooting was inferior to the Red Devils’.

Before the final whistle, Newcastle twice launched “long-range artillery” to clear for the Red Devils. Ultimately, Manchester United won 1-0, marking their 23rd Boxing Day victory, the most in the Premier League, while Newcastle’s 17 defeats make them the biggest Boxing Day underperformers.

Eddie Howe and Newcastle’s overly cautious approach fully explains why they have only won one of eight away Premier League games this season, helping Amorim and Manchester United secure the win against another recent nemesis.

Several players stood out: “Cool Dogu” scored the winner and blocked several Newcastle attacks; Ugart finally celebrated a win after seven consecutive starting losses; Eden Haven was voted man of the match by attendees.

When Amorim explained his tactical change, he said: “I believe the first half proved that only this formation could create more threats and more attacking chances. Specifically, the four defenders ensured more presence in the central area. This also helped the team maintain possession. I remember last year’s match against Newcastle, we lost because of one-on-one situations on the wings. I just learned from that to help players relax and play with more confidence.”

In this game, Manchester United’s possession rate was only 33.4%, setting a season-low record for the team. This was also the lowest possession since January 2023, when United also had 33.4% against Manchester City.

Amorim admitted Manchester United were somewhat fortunate to win: “There have been many games where we played very well but didn’t get three points, and today was the opposite. I think it was the collective effort of all players that ultimately brought us the victory.”

Although the Red Devils played well, one player’s performance was questioned. Forward Joshua Zirkzee, who came on at 60 minutes replacing Sheshko, showed little fighting spirit and was reprimanded by Amorim for lack of pressing. The 24-year-old Dutchman may leave before the January transfer window closes, having agreed to join Serie A’s Roma.

Zirkzee’s distracted and eager-to-leave attitude was obvious, with fans joking on social media: “Zirkzee is the kind of player who looks lazy if you watch a short clip, and after watching his full match performance, you realize he really is lazy!”

Regardless, a win is a good thing, and with Amorim no longer stubbornly sticking to 3-4-3, Manchester United fans can happily look forward to the new year. The Red Devils will face bottom-placed Wolves at Old Trafford in their final match of 2025, aiming for back-to-back wins.