Ruben Amorim had the last laugh over Gary Neville after the Sky Sports pundit’s eye-catching Manchester United assessment aged poorly over one key area.
The 40-year-old Manchester United manager has had to deal with the noise of different Red Devils legends over the course of the 2025-26 campaign so far.
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Or are you worried Wolves could spring a major upset?
Ruben Amorim has stood firm by his convictions and batted away concerns from the likes of Paul Scholes, Gary Neville and Wayne Rooney when it has been necessary.
The former Sporting CP boss watched the Red Devils return to winning ways in their penultimate Premier League match of 2025, with United defeating Newcastle 1-0.
Patrick Dorgu broke the deadlock in the first half with the opener — and eventual winner — after the 21-year-old United defender produced a stunning first-time finish.
Gary Neville’s Man Utd comments ahead of the Newcastle match aged like milk after Ruben Amorim’s men collected three points
Manchester United were not the best against Newcastle in last Friday’s Premier League clash, but the Red Devils ultimately did what needed to be done.
The Red Devils prevented a Newcastle equaliser in the second half after digging their heels in and keeping on to the lead that Patrick Dorgu had established.
Ruben Amorim’s men were under pressure to secure a crucial result against Newcastle after United’s setback to Aston Villa in a 2-1 defeat at Villa Park.
Speaking ahead of United’s hard-fought win over Newcastle, Gary Neville said the Red Devils’ biggest problem was not losing players to the 2025 AFCON tournament.
Ruben Amorim’s instant update on the Mason Mount tactical change in Man Utd’s 1-0 win vs Newcastle 🗣️🎙️
Mason Mount wanted to play, but Ruben Amorim didn’t want to take the risk. 👀 Who do YOU agree with on this occasion? Mount or Amorim? 🤔
However, the 50-year-old United legend was convinced that the absence of Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire would haunt the Red Devils against Newcastle.
“The biggest problem for Man Utd is not players at AFCON, it is the players at the back,” he told Sky Sports ahead of last Friday evening’s kick-off.
“They miss De Ligt and Maguire, and that is a big problem.
“They look really open at the back and that is something they have to deal with. The lads in there are struggling to deal with it.”
Pragmatic Ruben Amorim left Gary Neville with egg on his face after Man Utd’s Premier League win against Newcastle
Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire have been absent in recent weeks due to injuries and Amorim has been forced to adapt his defensive backline for the Red Devils.
Ayden Heaven has stepped up and excelled for United, while the returning Lisandro Martinez has been playing more and more minutes since his return from injury.
HOW will Harry Maguire be remembered at Manchester United?💥
United did miss the influence of De Ligt and Maguire in the Newcastle match, but the backline held itself together without collapsing like other times this season.
It was far from perfect, sure, but each United player delivered when it was needed and Senne Lammens also ensured that he walked away with his second clean sheet.
Amorim also proved Neville wrong by adapting his tactical system for United against Newcastle in the absence of injured players and AFCON-featuring Red Devils stars.
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