Manchester United’s relegation form will not end unless Ruben Amorim changes
Ruben Amorim declared pre-match that it was the “end of any coach” if he changes his “idea”. Post-match and that idea – with this squad of strawmen Manchester United players – was left burning on a bonfire of vanities.
It is harsh to describe Amorim’s persistence with a 3-4-2-1 system as vain when he is clearly a manager of undoubted ability who needs to be given time and has accepted an extremely difficult job.
But any coach worth his salt also adapts his style to what he has available to him until he can make changes – especially having taken over mid-season at a club who, whatever the circumstances, demand results.
United have been crying out for an identity and Amorim is trying to give them that. Fair enough. But, for now, there needs to be a middle ground. Otherwise, that identity is losing.
United are persevering with a shape that they do not have the players to execute – although goodness knows what formation works with this bunch. Unsurprisingly, they were beaten again.
Newcastle United bulldozed their hosts to lift themselves up to fifth in the Premier League with a fourth-successive league win to an aggregate of 13-0. It was their first league victory here in 11 years and only their second in 52 years and it was richly deserved.
As for the other United, they have lost six of their past eight games – they have never lost six before in December – and Amorim has taken just seven points from eight league matches. He had also talked about surviving and, while we thought he surely meant getting through this tough period, he later clarified that he was indeed referencing the possibility of relegation. Well, this is relegation form and at half-time it felt almost mutinous in the stands.
United drew at Ipswich in Amorim’s first game and, after Kieran McKenna’s 18th-placed side beat Chelsea to close the gap to seven points, who would back against them when the two sides meet again? We are only halfway through the campaign and United are spiralling.
Marcus Rashford scored that November day and it already feels like a long time ago. The forward was back on the bench for the first time in five games, after being dropped and suggesting he needs a new challenge, but he was never the story.
United’s collective disarray made sure of that, although what now for Joshua Zirkzee, who suffered the ignominy of being substituted during the first half and surely has to try to leave on loan next month?
Amorim’s system has brought success and brought him to United, but any rational analysis has to question how he felt it could work against Newcastle. Simply look at this: he paired 32-year-old Casemiro and Christian Eriksen, never known for their athleticism, against an awesome, powerful midfield trio of Bruno Guimaraes, Joelinton and Sandro Tonali.
There was only ever going to be one outcome – and it was unfair on the United pair to leave them so exposed – especially with defensively minded wing-backs in Noussair Mazraoui and Diogo Dalot, who do not have the instinct or ability to get up the pitch and offer support. So, it became a back five far too often.
Then there was a centre-back three or Matthijs de Ligt, Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez, who held back even though there was just one central striker in Alexander Isak to mark. None of them were brave enough – or had been told – to step out, which they had to do to help gain some control.
So guess what? United were over-run. Who would have thought that? It was made worse as they had No 10s in Zirkzee – until Eriksen took his place with Kobbie Mainoo in midfield – and Amad Diallo, who are simply not suited to the roles. Neither is good enough with their backs to goal and need to run onto the ball. But they did not do that, either.
And so that sound you heard when the teams lined up will have been Eddie Howe licking his lips. The Newcastle manager knew there was easy meat here and his in-form team feasted upon it.
Newcastle’s goals were helped by the United system, but were aided even more by the lethargy of their opponents, whose confidence and belief is so obviously shot.
For the first, Guimaraes easily switched the play out to the left, where Lewis Hall was in space. He delivered a cross and Isak was unmarked between Martinez and Maguire to head home inside the six-yard area. It was embarrassing from United, with De Ligt spreading out his arms in disbelief and Amorim shaking his head.
On FIRE 🔥🇸🇪 pic.twitter.com/Okd3DlYdMQ
— Newcastle United (@NUFC) December 31, 2024
It was eight goals in the last seven games for Isak – and 11 in 11 for league matches – and he should have had another when he broke free down the right, only to dink the ball into the arms of goalkeeper Andre Onana.
The reprieve was brief. The second goal inevitably arrived with Hall again crossing from the left – as Mazraoui once more stood off – and Martinez was unable to stop Joelinton as he ran in for another header.
It continued with Tonali running through, exchanging passes with Anthony Gordon and prodding a shot against a post, which prompted Zirkzee being substituted. Little over half an hour had been played but, despite the change, Amorim persisted with his system.
Yes, chances came. Rasmus Hojlund and Casemiro were wasteful and Maguire was unlucky when his header rebounded off a post and the Stretford End sang “Amorim’s Red and White army”, more in defiance than hope.
But there was no way back.
Newcastle knew the win was coming and their fans took over – as their team had done. “Say hello to Sunderland,” they sang of their Championship neighbours. It did not feel far-fetched.
10:42 PM GMT
Ruben Amorim speaks to Sky Sports
It was really hard on us. They are a better team and they started really strong. When we suffered a goal it was hard from that moment to turn it around firstly because of all the losses [absences] we had before. And we don’t have all the work [training] behind the positioning of the way we play to cope with difficult moments because when you have that work you can cope with different moments in the game. We don’t have that and so the players suffered a lot on the pitch.
Newcastle are a better team.
That is easy when the game started [to say he got the selection wrong] but I have to do it before. I am the only one who does it before [pick the team] to try to understand the opponent.
Josh [Zirkzee] is a player of Manchester United and sometimes we want more power in front and we are suffering always the first goal from set-pieces so today we wanted the guys [to defend] set-pieces. We are trying to cope but sometime we have a lot of problems. You push one side and it can leave the other side open but today it was very clear that Newcastle are a better team.
You have to think about the team and about the player because the player is suffering. I was there a few years ago [myself]. We needed another midfielder but it was really tough for me to [take Zirkzee off]. I talk with Josh about that because it’s important to express the message. But I’m always thinking about the team.
I know Josh is a really good guy and when he went to the tunnel there are some guys who do it in a bad way but he did it in a good way because he’s a good lad. And we have players like Harry Maguire who have had tough moments [to help] but that is life and we will support Josh and continue. Newcastle were not better than Josh, they were better than Manchester United.
You cannot go back. We have to continue to push. We have had four training sessions together, that’s all. I am here because of my idea and I’m going to continue to do my idea to the end. We have to fight. It is a difficult moment we have to address it with honesty. I change in every game something tactical, I am not stubborn. I believe in something and I will stick with that.
10:18 PM GMT
Alexander Isak speaks to Jamie Carragher
It feels great. We haven’t won in a long time here. It was a great performance and the perfect way to end this year.
Our intensity was really good, we pressed high, the challenge was to have the same intensity here as we do at home and it paid off with two goals and we could have scored more.
I’ve had a good year. We are very ambitious and it’s in all of our interests to get back to the Champions League. We have to keep the same level and stay focused.
10:15 PM GMT
The Zirkzee incident
Stinks really. Martínez cost them both goals and he’s seen as a warrior and a hero.
10:03 PM GMT
Newcastle up to fifth, Man Utd stay in 14th
09:56 PM GMT
Carragher’s snap verdict
‘A lot of this is on the manager for that selection.’
09:54 PM GMT
Anatomy of a first-half Man Utd nightmare
09:53 PM GMT
Full time: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 2
Three home league defeats in succession for Manchester United for the first time in 45 years, the first Newcastle league win at Old Trafford for 11 years.
09:51 PM GMT
90+3 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 2
The camera picks out Manchester United fans’ faces in the crowd and they look haunted rather than disgusted.
09:50 PM GMT
90+2 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 2
Alexander Isak is Gary Neville’s man of the match, not just for his eighth goal in December, but for a performance hat tormented De Ligt, Maguire and Martínez.
One minute to go.
09:48 PM GMT
90 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 2
They have stayed much longer than some of their West Ham counterparts but United fans start streaming towards the exits.
09:47 PM GMT
89 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 2
Manchester United have a free-kick 40 yards out. Eriksen stands over the ball and bends it from the left towards the penalty spot. Burn ignores his keeper’s shout and heads it clear as Howe urges his players to get out of the box and push up.
09:45 PM GMT
87 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 2
Penalty shout from the Stretford End when Diallo pops the ball through Burn’s legs then hits the deck but it was no foul.
09:44 PM GMT
85 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 2
Eddie Howe changes both his wingers:
Barnes → Gordon
Willock → Murphy.
09:42 PM GMT
83 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 2
Antony is stripped and ready to come on but Amorim lets the ball go out of play twice and holds on to him. Gordon’s dogged defensive work takes the ball off Amad’s toe as he tried to latch on to a sidewinder volley after some penalty box pinball.
Here’s Antony at last: Antony → De Ligt.
09:39 PM GMT
81 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 2
The Blaydon Races segues into You’re getting sacked in the morning from the away support. Schar is booked for a clumsy foul, which will earn him a suspension for the next match.
09:38 PM GMT
79 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 2
Gary Neville emphasises a Jamie Carragher stat – when the twio defensive wing-backs have played for Amorim, Dalot and Mazraoui, Man Utd have not scored a goal in open play.
09:36 PM GMT
77 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 2
Diallo is penalised, much to his frustration, for a foul on Hall when he telescoped his leg across the full-back to win the ball but tripped him up in the process.
09:35 PM GMT
75 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 2
Rashford is warming up. United sustaining a spell of possession but are kept at considerable distance.
09:32 PM GMT
73 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 2
Long spell of possession from Manchester United earns them a corner on the right when Diallo runs at Hall. Eriksen whips in the cross, Hall loses his man and Yoro, with a free header from 10 yards, steers it wide.
09:29 PM GMT
71 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 2
Silky skill from Isak to beat Dalot, leaping on to the ball to stab it away with both heels and turn to set up a move that ends with Tonali playing livramento down the right and the substitute flashing a cross between penalty spot and six-yard line that needed only a touch.
09:27 PM GMT
68 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 2
Isak drops deep to take the ball on halfway and he slides a pass up the left for Hall who bustles past De Ligt and keeps going before wafting a shot wide with the Dutchman in breathless pursuit.
09:25 PM GMT
66 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 2
Midgame defensive tinkering is a Ten Hag tradition that has been maintained. Hall races through from an offside position and out comes Onana to make sure by getting to the ball first.
09:23 PM GMT
64 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 2
Mazraoui and De Ligt see off the cross.
Two substitutions:
Yoro → Martínez
Garnacho → Casemiro.
Maguire is restored to the captaincy.
09:22 PM GMT
63 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 2
Dalot is penalised for grabbing Gordon’s shoulder and hauling him over. Free-kick on the right, 12 yards from the byline. Hall lines it up.
09:21 PM GMT
62 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 2
Credit where credit’s due – Man Utd have been better so far this half but that may also have something to do with Newcastle being happy with their cushion and keen to play on the counter-attack this half.
It’s been far better from United in the first 15 minutes of the second half and Maguire thought he’d pulled a goal back but his header cannoned back off the inside of the post.
09:19 PM GMT
60 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 2
Maguire and De Ligt both have chances with Maguire’s diving header crashing into the foot of the right post and De Ligt’s effort from the rebound being blocked by the spread-eagling Hall.
09:17 PM GMT
58 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 2
Man Utd throw in on the left parallel with the penalty spot. Dalot hurls it in and Mainoo pounces on the knock down to fire a shot that Hall bravely blocks.
09:16 PM GMT
56 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 2
Trippier has twanged his left hamstring and has to go off. Oddly he then comes back on after 30 seconds and makes the block from Diallo’s cross before bowing to the inevitable.
Livramento → Trippier.
09:13 PM GMT
54 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 2
Newcastle free-kick 40 yards out that they send up the centre-backs for but take short and Mainoo triggers a counter that first brings a Diallo shot from 20 yards that is blocked upfield and then Casemiro, dawdling, is dispossessed.
09:11 PM GMT
52 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 2
Threatening corner from Eriksen that makes its way to the middle of the box and Mazraoui tries to shoot through the human traffic but it proves too congested for him.
09:10 PM GMT
50 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 2
Mazraoui passes up the wind to Diallo who is hounded by Hall so has to go back to come forward again. Mazraoui is given the ball back and picks out Hojlund’s near-post run but Schar manages to stretch a leg out to deflect it behind.
09:07 PM GMT
48 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 2
Newcastle free-kick just inside the Man Utd half. Trippier chips it up to Burn who falls over in the box and De Ligt shifts the ball into midfield. The home fans try to rouse the team with The Manchester Boys. But it soon peters out.
09:05 PM GMT
46 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 2
I bet Sir Alex is relieved he is not honour/contractually bound to watch this every week. There are no half-time changes but one presumes a few fleas have been inserted in a few ears.
09:03 PM GMT
Half-time changes?
He has to make some. Starting Casemiro and Eriksen against Tonali, Bruno and Joelinton smacks of negligence from the whole hierarchy who have left him with such limited options.
08:53 PM GMT
Half-time verdict
Boos at half-time from Manchester United supporters. The gulf in class, energy, hunger and effort between the two sides has been marked. Remarkably, United have had two big chances to gain some kind of foothold back in the game but after Hojlund’s miss Casemiro contrived to shoot wide after Fabian Schar gave the ball straight to Mainoo.
08:50 PM GMT
Half-time: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 2
An absolute shambles of a performance from Manchester United and Newcastle toyed with them. They should be four or five goals to the good and although Gary Neville warns that their complacency could come back to bite them, it’s highly unlikely given how low their confidence is and how poorly they’re playing and shirking responsibility. Where’s the leadership? Martinez is a paper tiger.
08:48 PM GMT
45+1 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 2
It never rains… Schar, guilty of complacency, gives the ball straight to Mainoo 30 yards out and he plays a reverse pass to Casemiro to the left of the penalty spot. He targets the top right corner but fails to apply ample bend and squanders a glorious chance to grab a lifeline. What a miss!
08:46 PM GMT
44 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 2
Eriksen loses the ball in midfield but chases it forward as Newcastle shift it back to Dubravka with no reward or little hope. But a show of conspicuous effort is probably required even if ultimately futile.
Newcastle are hogging possession and passing it around with their Romeo y Julietas lit.
08:44 PM GMT
42 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 2
Diallo is taking some stick from the away fans for his season at Sunderland. Whatever this system is it ain’t 3-4-3 anymore. Mainoo is in front of Casemiro and Eriksen but adding little to attack.
08:42 PM GMT
39 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 2
Fine work from Joelinton and Isak cut between Maguire and Martinez like a chainsaw running through a dictionary but one false touch scuppers what could have been a deserved third.
08:37 PM GMT
36 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 2
‘Pound for pound this is the worst team in the country bar none,’ says Neville. Certainly in terms of what they cost and their value.
Zirkzee returns to the bench shortly after Hojlund wastes a good chance on the left of the box by driving a shot across the area and out of play beyond the back post.
08:35 PM GMT
34 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 2
Manchester United fans celebrate wildly when Zirkzee is taken off. He was booed for failing to hold the ball up a couple of times and now the poor soul takes his coat and runs to the tunnel. Brutal towards their own player who neither set the fee Ten Hag paid nor scouted and identified him, which Ten Hag, Berrada, Wilcox et al did. Don’t blame the workers, blame the management.
Mainoo → Zirkzee.
There were huge cheers from all around Old Trafford when Amorim moved to bring on Mainoo for Zirkzee and loud boos for the Dutchman as he came off. You don’t see United fans boo their own very often at Old Trafford so that was quite the scene. Zirkzee headed straight down for the tunnel and received some polite applause as he disappeared. He’s just reappeared now to take a seat among the substitutes, again receiving some polite, almost apologetic applause. Mainoo is now partnering Casemiro with Eriksen pushed along Amad in one of the No 10 roles. Ugarte and Fernandes’ suspensions may not have helped but Amorim got his midfield starters horribly wrong pairing Eriksen and Casemiro together against a Newcastle midfield of Joelinton, Guimaraes and Tonali.
08:33 PM GMT
32 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 2
Newcastle have bought the freehold of Old Trafford tonight and just walked through the United half, wholly unmolested by anything resembling a tackle or a foul. Joelinton, Isak and Gordon all combine to set up Tonali who fires a shot on to the post.
08:31 PM GMT
VAR rules out Isak goal
Thunderous finish into the roof of the net but he was a yard offside when the ball rebounded off Eriksen, who was making a block, and straight to the centre-forward.
08:30 PM GMT
29 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 2
‘You’ve got wing-backs that lack pace, midfielders who can’t run and a back three with no legs. It’s hard to see how this team could play well,’ says Gary Neville
08:28 PM GMT
27 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 2
Onana keeps the first corner out at the cost of another so Trippier goes deeper, looking to hook it under the crossbar but pushes it too far and out for a goalkick but that didn’t stop Onana having a flap and crashing into the post as he backpedalled in a panic.
Trippier seems to have been going with the Son and Cunha ‘Can I score from here?’ approach there with his second corner. It whizzs over the bar to the relief of Onana and the United crowd, whose unease was palpable.
08:27 PM GMT
24 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 2
Again Newcastle bypass Manchester United’s midfield and slide a pass out to Hall who cuts in on his right to shoot. Onana leaps to catch it two-handed. But from his re-start, they give the ball away and Tonali has a dig that Man Utd scramble out for a corner.
It has been a risible first 20 minutes from Manchester United and the only thing they can probably take from it is it’s only 2-0 because Newcastle could and should have had more. Guimaraes, Joelinton and Tonali are 1-2ing their way through Amorim’s midfield with embarrassing ease and Gordon v Mazraoui is a complete mismatch thus far. Twice the Moroccan defender has stood off Gordon and allowed him to cross and twice Newcastle have scored - Isak in acres of space between Maguire and Martinez for the first, Joelinton powering his way easily in front of the diminutive Martinez for the second. It has been total dominance from the visiting side.
08:24 PM GMT
22 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 2
It’s no country for old men, midfield. Newcastle’s vibrant, powerful trio are torturing Casemiro and Eriksen, once great players but who can no longer cope.
08:19 PM GMT
GOAL!
Man Utd 0 Newcastle 2 (Joelinton) VAR rules that Joelinton did not put it in with his arm though it did appear to hit the biceps as he ducked his head to meet Gordon’s cross. Bruno sinply waltzed around Eriksen and Casemiro didn’t have the legs to help his ailing partner. Newcastle sprayed the ball out to Gordon who whipped over a cross and Joelinton outjumped Martinez to bundle it in.
08:19 PM GMT
18 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 1
Martinez is caught out of position dawdling upfield when Bruno tackles Eriksen and chips a long pass up to Isak who bounds on to the ball, takes it into the area through acres of space, closes in on goal but takes one touch too many and tries to diddle Onana with a chip. The keeper, though, wasn’t buying it and didn’t go down. He caught the dink.
08:17 PM GMT
16 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 1
Man Utd free-kick 40 yards out after Tonali catches Zirkzee in the mouth. Newcastle hold their line at 18 yards and head away Eriksen’s cross.
08:15 PM GMT
14 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 1
Tight chance for Gordon at the back post when he blindsides Mazraoui, runs round the back of the wing-back to meet Murphy’s cross and shanks it behind.
08:13 PM GMT
12 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 1
Isak runs at De Ligt, sends him to the left and chops to the right leaving the Dutch defender on his backside and tehn shoots into Casemiro’s shins.
Tonali, Joelinton and Bruno are bossing midfield with embarrassing ease.
08:12 PM GMT
10 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 1
Newcastle are pinging passes around midfield and Man Utd can’t get close. They switch it across the field from Tonali to Hall who sends Gordon down the left touchline. He burns away from Mazraoui, makes it to the byline and cuts it back for Isak who bludgeons a left-foot rising shot over the bar from 10 yards.
08:10 PM GMT
8 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 1
A replay of the goal shows Martínez just letting Isak go. He acts the warrior, talks the talk but when is he going to walk the walk?
08:08 PM GMT
6 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 1
That’s certainly killed the Old Trafford vibe. Newcastke are sky high in terms of confidence, Man Utd are lower than a snake’s belly.
08:04 PM GMT
GOAL!
Man Utd 0 Newcastle 1 (Isak) Blimey! Like taking candy from a baby. Bruno has the ball on the right and is left unchallenged by the plodding Eriksen and Casemiro. Hall cushions the diagonal chip to the left and whips over a cross that takes a deflection and Isak steals in between Martinez and Maguire to nod it home from six yards.VAR check shows that De Ligt and Maguire played Hall onside.
08:03 PM GMT
3 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 0
Man Utd fans running through the old standards – ‘We all hate Leeds’ and ‘Cheer up Alan Shearer’. Schar tackles Zirkzee and shifts the ball forward but the ball up to Isak is too heavy.
08:02 PM GMT
2 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 0
Murphy has a raid up the right, trying to stretch Dalot but the left wing-back has the measure of the winger and gets back to shepherd the ball back to Onana.
08:01 PM GMT
1 min: Man Utd 0 Newcastle 0
Man Utd fans seem in good cheer as they rousingly join in with ‘Take me home’ before kick-off. Newcastle start and work the ball all the way back to Dubravka, who was at Man Utd on loan a couple of seasons ago but didn’t want to stay. He launches it forward.
07:57 PM GMT
Out come the teams
To the sound of John Squire’s guitar. Lisandro Martínez is the captain tonight, in preference to Harry Maguire. Manchester United are in red, white and black, natch. Newcastle have tweaked their home strip by switching to white socks, as preferred by Ruud Gullit, rather than donning their away kit.
07:49 PM GMT
It’s taters at Old Trafford
It is a reasonably mild December night at Old Trafford... but four of Manchester United’s substitutes – Antony, Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho and Tyrell Malacia – are warming up wearing full length coats as they play heads and volleys in a circle. Lemy Yoro is wearing a snood and a woolly hat. Guess they will certainly be warm enough if they get on.
07:14 PM GMT
Eddie Howe speaks to Sky Sports
It’s been a great few weeks for us. We come here in confident form and hopefully we can continue where we left off in our last match. [What’s different?] It’s that word confidence, really. We always believed we had a really good team.
Coming here is a really difficult game, it always is, but we’re looking forward to the test. Everyone individually is playing a lot better.
Manchester United have very good players and an outstanding coach who I am very sure will be successful here [but] if we can hit our top levels I believe we can beat anybody in the league.
07:12 PM GMT
Ruben Amorim talks to Gary Neville
A little bit more difficult than I thought [it would be when he joined] because of the schedule. You don’t have a lot of time to train just prepare for the games. With bad results it’s hard to sell an idea but now we have more time to train.
You have to be really focused on our idea, if you start changing because of results it’s the end of a coach. I’m trying to adapt to win games but I won’t [abandon] my idea. If you change your mind, that’s the end of any coach.
I am always trying to win games. The level of the team, they are the same level, I am trying to make the team compact because we suffer a lot of goals and I am focusing on set-pieces because one set-piece has changed the game [in the last few weeks].
Sometimes it’s better for the team to be more compact [why he’s not using Diallo as a wing-back]. Amad in that position is an option but we need a left-footer in that position in front. I try to use the characteristics of the player and you have to make changes.
Zirkzee is not a clear No 9 but we need strength and he will play off the left. We do not have the power so Zirkzee plays well between the lines.
Rashford is in for selection reasons and we have a lot of players outside. Like I said every week, I choose my players. He was there to be chosen. This time he is here.
07:00 PM GMT
This United team look slow
The immediate concern looking at that Manchester United starting XI is the lack of pace through the middle of the pitch: De Ligt, Maguire, Eriksen, Casemiro, Zirkzee. Newcastle are a fast and powerful team, albeit one with a pretty dire record at Old Trafford. If they win tonight, it will be only their second league win at Old Trafford since 1972. Manchester United, bidding to avoid a third successive league home defeat for the first time since Feb 1979, have never lost six games in December in their history. For the second successive December, they have lost five.
06:56 PM GMT
Your teams in black and white
Manchester United Onana; De Ligt, Maguire, Martínez; Mazraoui, Casemiro, Eriksen, Dalot; Diallo, Zirkzee; Hojlund.
Substitutes Bayindir, Kukonki, Malacia, Yoro, Collyer, Mainoo, Rashford, Antony, Garnacho.
Newcastle United Dubravka; Trippier, Schar, Burn, Hall; Bruno Guimaraes, Tonali, Joelinton; Murphy, Isak, Gordon.
Substitutes Vlachodimos, Barnes, Osula, Livramento, Almiron, Kelly, Willock, Longstaff, Miley.
Referee Simon Hooper (Swindon)
06:50 PM GMT
Newcastle unchanged
UNITED. 👊 pic.twitter.com/XaDw13RIL8
— Newcastle United (@NUFC) December 30, 2024
06:49 PM GMT
Rashford on bench and four changes to starting XI
📋 The team is in!#MUFC || #MUNNEW
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) December 30, 2024
De Ligt replaces Yoro, Casemiro comes in for Mainoo, Eriksen for Ugarte and Zirkzee for Bruno Fernandes.
06:46 PM GMT
Ipswich vs Chelsea and Aston Villa vs Brighton
Follow the latest from tonight’s other two Premier League matches here with Ellen McLaughlin.
06:43 PM GMT
RIP Michael Newberry
Horrible news:
We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of our former player, Michael Newberry, at the age of 27.
Our sincere condolences go to Michael's family, friends and all at @cliftonvillefc at this time.
Rest in peace, Michael. 🖤🤍 https://t.co/5dfruP3yF9 pic.twitter.com/o50NuN32i5— Newcastle United (@NUFC) December 30, 2024
06:35 PM GMT
Rashford’s return
Is this an issue of contrition and dedication to the new manager’s principles and non-negotiables or a needs-must compromise by Amorim?
06:29 PM GMT
Rashford in from the cold
Marcus Rashford has returned to Manchester United’s squad for Monday night’s game at home to Newcastle for the first time in more than two weeks.
The unsettled England striker had been omitted from United’s last four matchday squads.
Rashford was dropped for the 2-1 derby win over Manchester City and responded by giving an interview in which he declared he was ready for a “new challenge”.
Ruben Amorim had left out Rashford after being unimpressed by what he was seeing from the 27-year-old in training and games.
But Rashford has now been brought back in from the cold by the United head coach.
Rashford, wearing a club tracksuit, headed straight down the tunnel, head bowed with ear phones in, and into the dressing room after arriving at Old Trafford.
His return comes with captain Bruno Fernandes suspended after his red card in the 2-0 Boxing Day defeat at Wolves and midfielder Manuel Ugarte also missing through suspension after picking up his fifth booking of the campaign, at Molineux.
Match mode.#MUFC || #MUNNEW pic.twitter.com/QxwR3FWVHH
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) December 30, 2024
05:33 PM GMT
Rashford recalled to squad
Marcus Rashford has arrived at Old Trafford ahead of tonight's match between Manchester United and Newcastle 🔴 pic.twitter.com/Nyz58X2ACN
— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) December 30, 2024
05:32 PM GMT
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05:31 PM GMT
Preview: Newcastle seek first league win at Old Trafford for 11 years
Good evening and welcome to live coverage of Manchester United’s match against Newcastle United from Old Trafford in the 19th round of fixtures. The game starts with the home side, who have lost four of their last five while also failing to score against Arsenal. Bournemouth and Wolves, in 14th and on 22 points. The victory they seek would propel them above Spurs in 11th but will find Newcastle, who have won their last three, firing in 11 goals without conceding, formidable opponents and a victory for the visitors, which would be their first in the league there since Yohan Cabaye earned them a 1-0 win in December 2013, would push them above Man City in fifth.
Ten years after their last league win at Old Trafford, Newcastle beat Man Utd 3-0 in the Carabao Cup and come into tonight’s match in far better shape than the hosts despite the continued absence of Nick Pope, Sven Botman and Callum Wilson: their squad may not have the depth of their Champions League qualification rivals but in Alexander Isak, they have the Premier League’s most in-form elite striker, Sandro Tonali has recaptured his Milan brio, Jacob Murphy continues to confound expectations and Joelinton, Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon are all flying.
By contrast Manchester United, tonight having to make do without the suspended Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte, seem forlorn. Ruben Amorim’s early use of the pointy stick to try to instil some disciplinary rigour and encourage positive demeanours and a ‘side before self’ culture by dropping Marcus Rashford and, temporarily, Alejandro Garnacho, have so far yielded no reward. Opponents have gorged on their flaws, most obviously a flaky goalkeeper and a manager eschewing pragmatism by adhering to a Rolls Royce tactical system with only Lada parts. None of this is Amorim’s fault, unlike those who oversaw such ruinously overvalued recruitment under the previous manager, but he will have to come up with a solution long before he is afforded the time he covets on the training field to drill and mould minds.
As they showed with their late smash and grab at the Etihad, aided and abetted by the champions’ mistakes, Manchester United can upset the odds and they do not lack talent. What they need is structure, coherence, commitment and confidence of the kind Eddie Howe has established, albeit with one or two hiccups. If Amorim can deliver that it will be like manna from heaven to his team and their supporters.
