A CHANGE of formation for Manchester United and a change of fortune.
For the first time in 13 months, United lined up with a back four that led to a first win in three games and taken them into the top five.
Ruben Amorim famously declared that even the Pope could not make him abandon his 3-4-2-1 formation.
Nick Pope was on the Newcastle bench and within earshot of the United manager. It is unlikely his influence dwarfed the Holy Father’s.
Newcastle have had United’s number in recent years but they looked like a side that had managed one win in eight away Premier League games before kick-off.
United’s 2-0 home loss to Newcastle almost a year ago to the day was one of the lowest ebbs of the Amorim reign. This is one of United’s season highs.
Amorim promised there would be “no excuses” even without seven key players.
It was compounded by the half-time removal of Mason Mount, one of United’s most consistent performers this campaign.
Amorim’s approach in the second half was beyond negative – United had six defenders on for the final half-an-hour.
But this was a spirited and gutsy effort from United in the circumstances. This was only their second clean sheet all season after their shutout against the other north-east side, Sunderland.
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United’s captain, Lisandro Martinez, was making his first start in nearly 11 months, players played out of position and Newcastle did the double against Amorim’s side last season.
Yet Amorim devised a game plan that rattled Newcastle in the dugout and in the away end.
United warmed up with their usual pre-match drill of five defenders against five attackers, with the returning Martinez on the right of the back three, indicating a back three.
But that was a ruse.
The Newcastle analysts in the press box were quick on the blower to those in the dugout to confirm the change of shape.
Newcastle goalie Aaron Ramsdale went down with an apparent injury 12 minutes in. Gary Neville, on co-commentary suggested that was an order from Howe so he could issue Newcastle’s players with new instructions to counter United’s drastic formation change.
Patrick Dorgu, a left-footed left back, popped up on the right wing – where he started on his debut against Leicester in February and lasted 45 minutes.
The leftie got it right this time. Dorgu’s 25th-minute volley from Nick Woltemade’s attempted clearance had shades of Paul Scholes.
It drew looks of disbelief to go with the applause. It was Dorgu’s first United goal on his 38th appearance for the club.
Dorgu seemed to get the handle of his relocation as early as the 11th minute as his deflected cross found Benjamin Sesko, who turned but shot harmlessly wide.
If the formation could hardly be credited with Dorgu’s resurgence there was also a right-footed shot from the Denmark international in the 33rd minute that forced Aaron Ramsdale into another save.
Newcastle went close in the 14th minute through a Bruno Guinmaraes header that Senne Lammens repelled.
Nick Woltemade, the man who took up the mantle for Newcastle, almost got on the end of Jacob Murphy’s wicked cross in the 41st minute.
United headed indoors only 1-0 ahead and they had scored first only to not win five times already this term.
That ought to have provided Howe’s team talk for him and a spanner was thrown in the works for Amorim with the enforced half-time introduction of Jack Fletcher for Mount.
Mount, deployed as the No.10 in Bruno Fernandes’ absence, set the tempo for much of United’s play and had linked up well with Cunha and Sesko.
Jack, joined on the bench by twin Tyler for the first time, was a like-for-like replacement as Amorim kept faith with the 4-2-3-1 and opted for youth over the more experienced Joshua Zirkzee.
Newcastle put United under the cosh already and it had the makings of a backs-to-the-wall job well before the hour mark.
With Newcastle so dominant, Amorim turned to Zirkzee and Leny Yoro. Sesko, whose number was about to flash up, gathered the ball from Ugarte’s hustling and smacked the crossbar with his final touch.
Amorim proceeded with the substitutes and the pitch was flooded with six United defenders.
“They’ve shut up shop,” one of the Newcastle analysts yelled.
Lewis Hall’s dipping drive crashed against the crossbar a minute after Zirkzee and Yoro stepped onto the pitch.
From the corner, VAR briefly checked a possible handball against Martinez but instructed referee Anthony Taylor to resume the game.
United had a glorious opportunity to open up a two-goal cushion in the 73rd minute. Diogo Dalot, adept at charging to the centre forward’s role, cushioned Martinez’s free-kick but wellied the ball over the crossbar.
Substitute Joelinton shot weakly from Anthony Gordon’s pull-back on 79 minutes. Fellow sub Joe Willock tested Lammens’ grip.
Lammens held on and so did United.
