In his position as Manchester United coach, Ruben Amorim has experienced victories against Manchester City, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea. But perhaps, the victory against Newcastle on Boxing Day is the match that brings the greatest joy.
In the context of continuous injuries and many players absent due to national team duties, Amorim's patchwork squad still stood firm. They won minimally 1-0 - a golden victory for the ambition to chase the group to the European Cup.
The decisive moment came from Patrick Dorgu's beautiful shot, the left-back was pulled over to play as a right-wing midfielder. From then on, Man United entered the second half in a true state of endurance. Under constant pressure from Newcastle, the defense including Leny Yoro, Tyler Fredricson, Ayden Heaven and Tyrell Malacia still kept a clean sheet.
The combination of young players and faces who were once forgotten helped Man United keep a clean sheet for the second time this season. More notably, this is also the first time since March 2022 that they have won a Premier League match without Bruno Fernandes.
Amorim also made a tactical mark when for the first time since leaving Sporting CP to lead Man United more than a year ago, he used a 4-defender system. This approach has been effective, especially in the first half. But after the match, the Portuguese captain emphasized that what pleased him the most was not the formation, but the spirit and solidarity of his students in the difficult time.
I am really satisfied, especially in the second half. We endured together. It can be said that we defended well because we didn't concede, but they also had opportunities. Sometimes you need luck.
If we always maintain this spirit, we will win many matches. I think that is what we need to feel, that we can win matches with spirit and solidarity" - Amorim said.
Before the match, Amorim said that there would be no excuse when facing Newcastle. But in reality, he is facing an increasingly long absence list. Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui attend AFCON, while Fernandes suffers hamstring injuries. The person considered a replacement, Kobbie Mainoo, also has problems. Two veteran center-backs Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire are not in good condition.
And things got even worse in the match. Mason Mount left the field in the first half, giving way to 18-year-old Jack Fletcher. Lisandro Martinez - who started for the first time since a knee ligament injury in February - and Luke Shaw left the field one after another before the match ended. Casemiro also could not play fully. Malacia, who was banned throughout the summer, made his first appearance since January. Fredricson, who mainly played for the U21 team, had to enter a match under great pressure.
However, somehow, Man United survived.
Newcastle held the ball a lot, finished a lot. Senne Lammens faced 16 shots, but in reality they did not have to work too hard. The away team only had three shots on target. The most significant opportunity in the second half belonged to Lewis Hall, but the shot found the crossbar.
On the "Red Devils" side, victory came in an unsightly game. They only controlled 33% of the ball - the club's lowest percentage in a Premier League match since the victory over Manchester City in January 2023.
At least, Amorim can recognize that he has gained new support: Dorgu, Heaven and the return of Martinez. Matheus Cunha also left his mark in the context of Mbeumo's absence.
This is not the long-term plan that Amorim imagines for Man United, but a temporary solution for the present. And he can only hope that the broken squad is still strong enough to keep up until Mbeumo, Amad, De Ligt and especially Fernandes are ready to return.
It's a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit of a bit.
