Manchester United coach Ruben made jokes in September that even Pope would not be able to persuade him to change the team’s style of play. But for the first time since he took charge 13 months ago, he fielded a back four and Manchester United earned a Christmas present with a 1-0 victory against Newcastle United to advance to the fifth position in the Premier League table. Patrick Dorgu struck the winner in the first half.
The victory was achieved with 33.4% possession, their lowest share of possession in any game this season. It was United’s lowest percentage of possession in a victory since the 29.4% they had when beating Manchester City in January 2023.
Despite the low possession, United managed nine shots at Old Trafford, while Newcastle recorded 16. The visitors also had 43 touches in United’s box, compared to Amorim’s men, who could manage only 15.
The host has 29 points after 18 matches, with the rest of? The next matches are to be played on Saturday and Sunday, while Newcastle is 11th with 23 points.
“Yes,” was the unequivocal reply when asked whether this was one of the most satisfying wins in his stressed 13 months as the chief coach of the team.
He also explained, “The feeling is good. If you compare to other matches, we suffered so much more today, but in certain moments we put everything on the line. We are defending every cross. Especially if you see the second half, sometimes we managed to defend with a back six,” explained Amorim.
He added, “We had many matches where we controlled the opponent much better, but it is a good feeling to have a clean sheet. We suffered together, and if we always have this spirit, we are going to win more matches.”
