Wayne Rooney worried by what he saw from Man United despite win vs Newcastle
Manchester United got back to winning ways in the Premier League when they narrowly defeated Newcastle United on Friday.
Patrick Dorgu‘s goal saw Manchester United beat Newcastle 1-0 at Old Trafford, propelling the Red Devils up to sixth in the table.
Ruben Amorim‘s team have struggled for consistency, winning just three of their last nine games, but will hope that Friday’s win can act as a catalyst.
Ayden Heaven was among the standouts for Manchester United against Newcastle, with the 19-year-old earning rave reviews for his performance.
Newcastle felt they should have had a penalty when the ball struck Lisando Martinez’s hand inside the box, but Anthony Taylor waved away their complaints.
Wayne Rooney shares what he really thought about Manchester United win
Despite winning, Manchester United‘s performance against Newcastle was not overly convincing.
The visitors dominated possession and went close to equalising on several occasions, with opportunities falling to Fabian Schar, Anthony Gordon and Lewis Hall.
The same can be said of Manchester United, however, who would have extended their advantage had Benjamin Sesko or Diogo Dalot converted big chances.
| Manchester United | Match stats | Newcastle United |
| 33% | Possession | 67% |
| 10 | Shots | 16 |
| 4 | On target | 3 |
| 1.27 | Expected goals (xG) | 1.18 |
| 2 | Corners | 11 |
And that is taking into question the absence of the Red Devils’ key man. Bruno Fernandes is expected to miss around a month of action after sustaining an injury in last week’s defeat to Aston Villa.
The midfielder has been all but omnipresent since his arrival at Old Trafford, and Manchester United will do well to cope without him until mid-January.
Speaking about Friday’s game, Rooney told BBC Match of the Day: “I was worried when I saw the performance, if I’m being honest.
“I think the manager changed the formation and he went with a back four, which a lot of people have been asking for, but, I know they didn’t concede a goal, but they didn’t look comfortable.
“Newcastle were putting them under pressure, especially in the second half, and when I look at the squad, and the bench, what they’ve got there, they really need players in to try and help them challenge and try to get in the top four.”
Ruben Amorim says Manchester United had to ‘suffer’
Wolves will be next to travel to Old Trafford, before Manchester United face a difficult meeting with Leeds United at Elland Road.
Points on the board will be extra important, given the approaching run that includes the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham.
Speaking after the final whistle, Amorim said: “We had to suffer altogether in the stadium. It was really difficult for us.
“We had a good first half and then the second half we just defend and tried to do something with Cunha. We had our opportunities in transitions.
“It was a good win, but I had so many games here when we played well and didn’t get the three points. Today it was the opposite.”
Amorim will be encouraged by his team’s ability to win even when not at their best, but he will be brutally aware that the pendulum could easily swing in the opposite direction in their upcoming fixtures.