Old Trafford awaits – Manchester United v Newcastle United preview | OneFootball

Welcome to the Manchester United v Newcastle United preview.

Monday 30th December – 8pm

Newcastle United round off an eventful 2024 with a trip to the once-daunting Old Trafford, facing a struggling Man U team who find themselves nine places and seven points behind the Toon in the Premier League.

A win for the real United would make this a very happy New Year indeed and could set the tone for a successful 2025, as the Toon look to build on an impressive run of winning four games in a row, scoring fourteen goals and conceding just one.

Man U however, will be desperate to put recent woes behind them by continuing their incredible record against NUFC on this ground, having only lost one league game in over fifty years.

In their past six Premier League matches, Newcastle have won three, drawn two and lost one. We’ve won our last three matches (home to Leicester, away to Ipswich and home to Villa) on the bounce and also tasted success in the League Cup quarter-final (3-1 v Brentford). There have also been draws with Liverpool and Crystal Palace and a loss to Brentford. We’ve taken eleven points from our past six league matches and scored an astonishing seventeen goals! The Toon currently sit fifth in the league and will end this set of fixtures between fifth and tenth depending on results elsewhere.

Manchester United have lost four and won two of their past six matches and also been knocked out of the League Cup. Their wins have come against Man City and Everton, whereas they’ve tasted defeat to Wolves, Bournemouth, Forest and Arsenal. They’ve taken six points from these games and scored eight goals. They currently sit fourteenth in the table but could climb as high as tenth should all results go their way.

Last time out

Newcastle demolished Aston Villa on Boxing Day with a 3-0 win that could have been doubled. Antony Gordon got the party started with a brilliant goal inside 90 seconds and second-half strikes from Isak and Joelinton put the gloss on the final score. Newcastle also had three further goals disallowed and hit the crossbar, when Murphy seemed a certain scorer. Villa did themselves no favours with a senseless dismissal but the Toon had this one in the bag almost from the kick off.

Man United slumped to a poor 2-0 defeat away at Wolves. Both goals came in the second-half and a red card for Captain Bruno Fernandes means he’ll now be suspended for our match on Monday night, as well as Ugarte who picked up his fifth PL yellow of the season.

Stat attack!

Newcastle have scored five goals in their last two visits to Old Trafford in all competitions.

Newcastle have failed to win any of their past nine league matches away at Man United.

Despite an appalling league record at Old Trafford, Newcastle won two crucial FA Cup matches there in the late nineties by beating Sheffield United and Tottenham Hotspur in the 1998 and 1999 Semi-Finals.

The League Cup has also provided some respite for NUFC, who hammered Man United 3-0 at Old Trafford in 2023. Goals from Almiron and Hall had us 2-0 at half-time, before Joe Willock smashed home a superb third to put the tie beyond doubt.

Memorable match

In December 2013, Alan Pardew’s Newcastle went to Man United, having never won a Premier League match there. In fact, we hadn’t won there against Man United since 1972, but all of this was about to change.

The real United scored the only goal of the game in the second half when Sissoko broke down the right wing in the 61st minute and found Cabaye in the area to sidefoot home into the bottom corner, to send the away end into ecstasy! Newcastle survived a scare when Man U had a goal disallowed but the day belonged to the Toon and the away fans stayed on to celebrate long and hard. Final Score Man U 0-1 United Happy days!

Played for both

Andy Cole – Kevin Keegan broke the club’s transfer record by splashing out £1.75 million for the striker in 1993. This is a number nine who’s record stands up to anyone else’s – a whopping sixty eight goals in eighty four matches before being controversially sold to Man U in January 1995 for a British record transfer fee. Some fans were so angry at the sale that they turned up at the stadium demanding answers which Keegan provided, famously standing on the steps to explain his decision. King Kev would go on to sign the likes of Sir Les and David Ginola the next summer, as the entertainers came ‘so close’ to being champions of England for the first time since 1927, but that’s a story for another day.

Nicky Butt signed for Newcastle from the reds in 2004 and spent a season at the Toon before being loaned to Birmingham City. He returned to NUFC and become an integral part of our promotion from the Championship in 2010, captaining the side on a number of occasions. He left the club at the end of our promotion season.

Ronny Johnsen was signed from Aston Villa in 2004 having previously spent six years in a trophy-laden spell at Man United. He managed just a few games for NUFC before announcing his retirement, then changing his mind and signing for Norwegian side Valerenga.

Managers

Eddie Howe after a 3-0 home win over Aston Villa:

“I’m delighted with the win. I have to complement the players and how well they are playing, it is a good set of results and performances. We looked like we could score at any moment, the attacking players have their confidence back which is great to see and we look in a great place. If we can strengthen (in January) that would be our preference, if we can’t we have to get the best out of the squad. I will go back and watch the game again and see where we can improve. We go to Manchester United on Monday with real quality and confidence.”

Ruben Amorim after a 2-0 defeat away at Wolves:

“The manager of Manchester United can never, no matter what, be comfortable. I know that if we don’t win, regardless, if they pay the buyout [for me] or not, I know that every manager is in danger and I like that because that is the job, so I understand the question. You can argue that I have been here one month and I’ve had four training sessions, but we are not winning. That is the reality and I’m quite comfortable with that”.

Charity

As it is an away match, Newcastle United fans will not be collecting opposite the Gallowgate end, for the food bank. However, you can still help out and all online cash donations are very much appreciated. For further info and/or to donate to the food bank online go HERE.

There’s no denying that NUFC have an awful record at Old Trafford. It’s a ground we’ve regularly been absolutely hammered on (being in the away end for 5-3, 6-0 and 4-1 defeats are far from favourite memories of mine!).

There’s also no denying that we are now putting together a very good run of form and scoring plenty of goals whilst Man U have recently looked fairly dismal.

Old Trafford is not the fortress it once was and for that reason, I’m going for the Toon to win their fifth game in a row.