Ruben Amorim changes style to resort to pragmatism at last as Manchester United edge past Newcastle United

Is Ruben Amorim finally evolving his tactics? (Image credits – CommonsWikipedia, Licence Details)

Manchester United edged past Newcastle United 1-0 in the Premier League, as they climbed up to the sixth position in the table. However, this victory was far from convincing.

The Red Devils have started the season slowly and haven't dominated games, banking on individual brilliance to grind wins. Amorim's men have not been able to play his style of football, often lacking rhythm and clarity.

Amorim has repeatedly stated that he would never tweak his football philosophy even if it leads to his sack. However, in the game against Newcastle, Amorim had to resort to pragmatism to clinch three important points.

Man United recorded the victory with just 33.4% possession, their lowest this season, and they managed just 15 touches inside the opponent’s box. Apart from Patrick Dorgu’s sensational volley from the edge of the box, Amorim's men had no threat.

The structure remained the same, but United didn't press aggressively, maintained a mid-block throughout the game and denied Newcastle any passing lanes through the middle. 

Unlike the usual Amorim ball, the Red Devils let the Magpies control possession and tempo of the game, often waiting for them to commit mistakes in the middle of the park.

In this Boxing Day clash, Ruben Amorim chose to prioritise results over his style of football, focusing on staying disciplined without the ball. Although this victory wasn't convincing, this might be a sign of an evolution in tactics at Old Trafford.

That is a good sign for the Red Devils, as all the elite managers with a certain brand of football do evolve with time to survive in modern football. Even Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta have tweaked from their initial beliefs to survive in the evolving Premier League.

Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney not convinced with Amorim's tactics despite the win

Manchester United legend Wayne Rooney was not convinced with the club's hard-earned victory over Newcastle United. The Englishman assessed Amorim's tactics, praising the defensive stability but pointing out several problems that still exist in the team.

Rooney highlighted the fact that despite giving youngsters chances, the club lacks quality to challenge for the title or even top four. He slammed the United boss for approaching a home game with a defensive approach, which is clearly not the Manchester United way.

Although he was relieved that the manager tweaked his tactics and shifted to a back four, the defensive approach was not appreciated by the former Everton and Man Utd forward.

“I know they didn’t concede a goal, but they didn’t look comfortable, and Newcastle were putting them under pressure, especially in the second half,” said Rooney in the post-match interview. (sic)

He further added, "When I look at the squad and the bench, what they’ve got there, they really need players in to try to help them challenge to get into the top four. Listen, it’s great to see the young players on the bench and getting opportunities, but it needs to be at the right time as well, and it’s not; it’s not sustainable at all. They need players in." (sic)

"They’ve obviously lost some important players, and Bruno (Fernandes) is a big loss, but the home games under Amorim – you look at the possession from the Newcastle game, 33 per cent at Old Trafford – I know when the fans go to that stadium, they want to see the team with the ball. They want to see them entertaining, getting crosses in the box and getting shots in. It was a poor performance, but they managed to win.” (sic)