During Manchester United’s 1-0 win over Newcastle, one star was bizarrely substituted early into the second half, but Rúben Amorim has confirmed it was not injury-related.
Manchester United claimed a hard-fought 1–0 win over Newcastle United on Boxing Day, as Patrick Chinazaekpere Dorgu’s fantastic volley proved decisive.
The hosts started with intensity, but Eddie Howe’s tactical tweaks helped Newcastle find their rhythm. United eventually broke the deadlock just before the 25th minute, with Dorgu striking to give his side a crucial advantage.
Rúben Amorim’s team stayed disciplined and composed for the rest of the first half. Early in the second period, Amorim was forced into a change when Mason Mount was withdrawn through injury, with Jack Fletcher coming on in his place.
Newcastle dominated possession after the interval but struggled to penetrate a well-organised United defence. Strong displays from Ayden Heaven, Senne Lammens and Dorgu helped preserve the clean sheet and secure a gritty victory.
The result delivered a valuable three points and a much-needed shutout, which lifted United to fifth in the Premier League before the rest of the weekend fixtures.
Casemiro’s bizarre substitution explained
With Bruno Fernandes being ruled out of the game through injury, Amorim started a pairing of Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte in the midfield, but after 61 minutes, the Brazilian was replaced by Leny Yoro, a decision that he didn’t look very impressed by.
Speaking after the game, Amorim explained his decision to reporters, saying: “In that moment I did not want to take [Matheus] Cunha because he’s the only guy who can allow us to breathe and I put him in a No.10.
“Jack [Fletcher] was fresh to continue, Manu [Ugarte] was fresher than Casemiro, we took a chance because they were making a lot of corner runs, and I feel he was going to struggle in that moment.”
Gary Neville echoed the confusion of many while commentating on the game, saying: “I’m surprised, I am really surprised. I thought [Joshua] Zirkzee would’ve come on for Ugarte, and Jack Fletcher would have gone back one [into midfield].
Amorim’s changes worked despite causing some confusion
Neville also displayed confusion towards some of Amorim’s substitutions and tactical tweaks after the Brazilian midfielder’s substitution, saying: “That is a surprise, I’m shocked, maybe it’s a back five, I’m not sure what it is, maybe it’s a back six, it looks like it. I thought the shape of the team was actually okay.
“Look, Newcastle were on top anyway, I don’t want to be a pessimist if you’re a Manchester United fan watching, but I’d be surprised if this goes well in the next half hour because they look all at sea now, I’m really not sure about those substitutions.”
Read More: Manchester United in “serious negotiations” for Ligue 1 star as Joshua Zirkzee replacement
It was clear to see that Amorim was looking to shut up shop when he brought on the likes of Yoro and Zirkzee, while leaving Cunha as the most advanced forward.
He also swapped Luke Shaw and Lisandro Martínez for Tyrell Malacia and Tyler Fredricson, which brought his changes further into disrepute. Despite these changes, Newcastle were still very much playing on the front foot and limited United to just 33.4% possession in this game, their lowest this season. At the end of the day however, Amorim’s men held firm and successfully shut out Newcastle to claim just their second clean sheet of the season.
Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is streamed live every Thursday at 12:30 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.