More woe for Amorim as Newcastle ease past United
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Ruben Amorim’s nightmare start as Manchester United manager gathered momentum on Monday night when, for just the second time in their last 40 league visits to Old Trafford, Newcastle ran out winners.
It was a win for Eddie Howe’s in-form side that, quite frankly, flattered the hosts, given Newcastle’s superiority, and raised many questions about not only Manchester United players but also their highly-regarded young manager.
Amorim himself admitted, after the recent defeat at Wolves, that he was under pressure just brief weeks into his new job and nothing on display last night contradicted that view.
Just eight league games into his reign, it seems an obscenely early stage to be drawing conclusions about Amorim’s suitability for the task in hand. But five of those eight have now ended in defeat with precious little, in fact no, sign of improvements.
For the first time since 1979, United have lost three consecutive league games at Old Trafford, although that run was punctuated by a home win in the FA Cup.
In fact, not since October 1962 has United’s match-going support been 'treated' to three successive losses without a cup win sandwiched in between. A 62-year low is the sort of historically inept territory into which this United team has slumped.
A miserable end to a largely miserable year — May’s FA Cup final win excepted — started after just four minutes when Bruno Guimaraes swept a ball wide to Lewis Hall on the Newcastle left and his cross swung into the six-yard box.
Alexander Isak arrived, splitting Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez, and headed powerfully in from six yards for his 12th goal of the season and the latest defensive embarrassment for Amorim.
Isak should have doubled the lead after 17 minutes played clear by Guimaraes but trying unsuccessfully to lob Andre Onana, although Newcastle’s loud following had to wait barely 60 seconds for that second.
Again, it was the result of a defensive horror show as Anthony Gordon skipped past Noussair Mazraoui, crossed and Joelinton arrived ahead of Martinez to nod in from close range.
Martinez, captain for the day in place of suspended Bruno Fernandes, had been a liability for both goals but then the same could be said of every one of his team mates.
For reasons best known to himself, Amorim had elected to start the game with Casemiro and Christian Eriksen in the centre of his midfield and under-performing striker Joshua Zirkzee in the number ten role.
By the time Newcastle threatened to add to their early two-goal cushion, the manager had seen enough and, with just 33 minutes on the clock, hauled off Zirkzee to be replaced by Kobbie Mainoo,.
The cheers for the young sub, and jeers for the man he was replacing, summed up the desperate position in which United currently find themselves.
Indeed, having taken that lead, Newcastle carved out five good chances in six minutes, immediately prior to Amorim’s emergency substitution.
Hall’s 20-yard shot was well held by Onana, an effort from Sandro Tonali was deflected behind by Martinez, and Kieran Trippier almost succeeded in scoring straight from a corner, curling the ball in to test Onana, who had conceded in that fashion at Wolves.
Isak actually had the ball in the net on the half-hour, from a clearly offside position, but a minute later, Tonali missed a glorious chance to make it three, hitting the post with the goal at his mercy after being set up by Gordon.
No wonder Amorim pressed the panic button and, at least, there was some improvement when Martinez soon played in Rasmus Hojlund although the striker shot wide.
Casemiro also missed a great opening as first half time expired but the boos that rang out at Old Trafford at the interval told an alarming story.
At least those fans saw a second half improvement that prevented the sort of cataclysm that seemed ready to befall their team before the interval. On 59 minutes, Maguire even headed against the post from a Diogo Dalot cross, while substitute Leny Yoro headed wide from a difficult chance.
It was better, but still poor, and United and Amorim made it five defeats in six league games for the first time since they lost six out of seven in May 1989, a run that piled the pressure on their young manager Sir Alex Ferguson.
Unlike Fergie, we may never get the chance to know the full extent of Amorim’s managerial potential and the sight of a disconsolate Marcus Rashford, an unused sub after being left out of the last four games, was a timely reminder of the size and variety of the tasks the current United manager faces.