Man Utd 1-0 Newcastle Utd: Jamie Carragher and Roy Keane agree on one big thing Ruben Amorim got right

Jamie Carragher and Roy Keane both feel that Ruben Amorim caught Eddie Howe by surprise with his tactical set-up as Manchester United beat Newcastle United 1-0 at Old Trafford on Friday night.

The United boss switched up from his usual 3-4-3 formation to play a back four at Old Trafford as the Red Devils recorded their fourth Boxing Day win over the Magpies as they remain unbeaten on the date against Newcastle.

Patrick Dorgu’s stunning first-half volley proved to be the decisive moment in the game as Newcastle managed just three shots on target from their 16 efforts on goal. The visitors dominated possession but Amorim’s set-up frustrated the away side and Carragher and Keane both believed Amorim’s set-up surprised his counterpart.

“I think the big question for the manager is this a system he is going to stick with or is it because of the position he has found himself in, in terms of players he has got available and players who are out injured,” Carragher said on Sky Sports after the game.

“One thing we should say is, it fooled us before the game and it definitely fooled Eddie Howe and Newcastle. There was a little message about his goalkeeper going down to try and get that message on.

“If Ruben Amorim can go forward and almost keep that where you are going into games and the opposition don’t know what you’re going to do. That is never an easy thing to come up against.

Keane added: “Yeah, maybe they [Manchester United] did catch them [Newcastle United] out. They have been a bit predictable, you know what has been coming with them. But tonight it definitely caught everybody out.”

Amorim has long insisted he would never change from his 3-4-3 system in his time at United but with the likes of Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo at AFCON and with Bruno Fernandes injured, the former Sporting CP boss did change his set-up.

He said afterwards: “I think in the first half we showed it (the back four) was the only way to create more danger, was with a back four, with a lot of guys inside, even to keep the ball. I remember from the game last year, we lost 1 vs 1 outside so we just tried to imagine the game of the players to feel comfortable.”

Up next for United is a home game with struggling Wolves, who they beat 4-1 away from home recently. They then take on old rivals Leeds United at Elland Road on Sunday, January 4 before making the trip to Burnley on Wednesday, January 7.

FA Cup duties await against Brighton before they end January with home clash against Manchester City and a trip to Arsenal.