'We suffered together' - Amorim changes style as Man Utd win
by Simon Stone · BBC SportAs a football idealist, Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has specific beliefs about how the game should be played - and the best way to win.
But his usual philosophy was not the one that brought the Christmas present of a 1-0 Premier League win over Newcastle.
For one thing, there was the formation switch.
Amorim joked in September that not even the Pope could persuade him to change, but for the first time since he took charge 13 months ago, he fielded a back four.
For another, victory was achieved with 33.4% possession, their lowest in any game this season. It was United's lowest percentage of possession in a victory since the 29.4% they had when beating against Manchester City in January 2023.
They had nine shots at Old Trafford compared to Newcastle's 16. The visitors had 43 touches in their opponents' box. Amorim's men had 15.
Yet it was Manchester United who prevailed, thanks to a combination of Patrick Dorgu's first goal for the club - which was a sublime first-half volley from the edge of the area - and only a second clean sheet of the season.
It wasn't pretty. But even for Amorim, sometimes there are days when substance trumps style.
"Yes," was the unequivocal reply when asked if this was one of the 'most satisfying' wins of his, at times, tortuous 13 months in charge.
"The feeling is good. If you compared to other games, 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.
"We had so many games when we controlled the opponent so much better, but it is a good feeling to have a clean sheet. We suffered together. If we always have this spirit, we are going to win so many games."
Newcastle boss Eddie Howe headed back to the north-east of England reflecting on yet another disappointing away performance. He admitted his side failed to turn their territorial advantage into the type and volume of meaningful chances that would have earned maximum points.
But for the home side, the outcome felt significant.
Lisandro Martinez and Ayden Heaven are at other ends of the experience scale.
One is a World Cup winner, albeit one just returning from the latest in a sequence of bad injuries. The other is a 19-year-old with 15 senior appearances under his belt – who has now extended the longest playing sequence of his first-team career to five games.
Paired together in the middle of a revised back four, with Luke Shaw and Diogo Dalot as full-backs and Dorgu switched to the right side of Amorim's attack, Martinez and Heaven were immense.
"He [Martinez] is a guy with a lot of character," said Amorim.
"He is really good on the ball - and has won a World Cup, so he is used to that stress - but he showed today he is a top player.
"He is a small guy but today he did well against a team with tall players."
The sight of 5ft 9in Martinez leaping high to win a header against 6ft 6in Nick Woltemade in the first half was impressive.
Even though there was an element of Amorim having to protect a player starting for the first time since February following his recovery from cruciate knee ligament surgery, there must have been concern when Martinez left the field two minutes from time and 20-year-old Tyler Fredricson came on in his place.
The concern was misplaced.
Fredricson did his job well. But he had Heaven with him to bring more solidity.
It is hard to believe when the former Arsenal youngster started against West Ham on 4 December, he was booked almost immediately and looked so shaky, it was almost a shock he lasted until half-time when he was replaced by Leny Yoro.
In the space of five games and three weeks, Heaven has advanced rapidly.
He was excellent in the defeat at Aston Villa on 21 December and followed that up with a performance of maturity against Newcastle that earned him the host broadcaster's man-of-the-match award.
So good has Heaven been that Amorim is warning Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt, currently sidelined, they can't be certain of getting their places back when they are fit again.
That is significant in two ways. Firstly, De Ligt was, by common consent, United's best defender until a back injury ruled him out of the West Ham game. Maguire, meanwhile, is still waiting to learn whether United will offer him a new contract when his current one expires in the summer.
"I am really pleased with Ayden," said Amorim.
"You can feel that he is improving every game. He trained really well, which shows if you train well, it can help you play.
"If he continues to play like that, it is going to be really hard to take his place."