Bruno Fernandes has issued praise for one of his Manchester United teammates after they delivered a ‘top performance’ against Newcastle on Boxing Day.
Manchester United claimed a narrow 1–0 Premier League victory over Newcastle, with Patrick Dorgu’s spectacular volley separating the two sides.
Ruben Amorim surprised many by opting for a 4-2-3-1 formation, deploying Dorgu as a right winger. Newcastle manager Eddie Howe briefly halted the game by instructing Aaron Ramsdale to go down injured, allowing time to reorganise his team’s tactical approach.
Although Newcastle began to settle into the match, they were undone when Dorgu smashed a volley into the net from a long United throw-in. United then took control, creating additional chances, with Dorgu and Matheus Cunha both forcing efforts toward goal.
Newcastle dominated possession for much of the second half, but United defended with determination and resilience. Despite some unconventional substitutions, Amorim’s side stood firm to preserve the clean sheet and secure all three points.
Fernandes issues praise for criticised United star
Manuel Ugarte played 90 minutes in midfield against Newcastle and finally managed to see a victory when being in the starting XI. His last seven times in the team were all losses.
The Uruguayan has been criticised by fans in recent months and Amorim even challenged him to improve his levels in training.
But he delivered a spirited performance against the Magpies and received praise from club captain Bruno Fernandes after the game.
Fernandes missed the game with an injury but would have been delighted with the win. He responded to Ugarte’s post on Instagram and wrote, “Top performance,” with clapping and flexing emojis.
Depending on the fitness of Fernandes and Kobbie Mainoo, Ugarte could be called upon to start in United’s final game of 2025 against Wolves next week.
Still question marks over Ugarte
Ugarte still has a lot to prove at Old Trafford if he is going to stay at the club in the long-term. The game against Newcastle suited his playstyle, with the Reds sitting in their own half throughout the entire second half.
We all know that he can be useful out of possession but the major question marks are surrounding his role when United are on the ball themselves.
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Still, it was obvious that his confidence had been down and hopefully the display on Friday will give him a boost going forward.
United’s problems in midfield have been clear and the recent injuries have not helped, but the Reds will hope that they can keep getting positive results.
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