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Simon Stone
Old Trafford’s chief football news reporter
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Ruben Amorim, the head coach of Manchester United, has a set of beliefs regarding the best way to win and how the game should be played.
However, his traditional perspective did not contribute to the 1-0 Premier League victory over Newcastle as the Christmas gift.
The formation switch was present for one reason.
Amorim made the joke that even the Pope could persuade him to change in September, but for the first time since taking over 13 months ago, he fielded a back four.
Additionally, they were awarded victory with 33.4% possession, which is their lowest level in any game this season. Since the 29.4% they had in a victory against Manchester City in January 2023, United had their lowest possession percentage ever.
Compared to Newcastle, they had 16 shots at Old Trafford. In their opponent’s box, the visitors managed 43 touches. 15 of Amorim’s men were men.
However, Manchester United won thanks to a combination of Patrick Dorgu’s first goal for the club, which was a superb first-half volley from the edge of the area, and only his second season-clean sheet.
It wasn’t pretty, either. However, there are times when substance triumphs over style, even for Amorim.
When asked if this was one of his, at times, tortuous 13 months in charge, the unwavering response was “Yes”.
The sensation is pleasant. In some situations, we put everything on the line, but today we suffered so much more than other games.
Every cross is being defended by us. Even in the second half, especially if you watch the second half, we occasionally managed to defend with a back six.
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Eddie Howe, the manager of Newcastle, returned to the north-east of England after another disappointing away performance. He acknowledged that his country failed to create the kind of meaningful chances that would have earned the most points from their territorial advantage.
The outcome, however, felt significant for the home side.
At other extremes of the experience spectrum are Lisandro Martinez and Ayden Heaven.
One has won the World Cup, though he is only just recovering from the most recent bad injury. The other player, age 19, has made 15 senior appearances in his first season and has now completed the longest playing streak of his first-team career, totaling five games.
Martinez and Heaven were fantastic when they were paired together in the middle of a revised back four, with Dorgu switching Amorim’s attack to the right and Luke Shaw and Diogo Dalot as fullbacks.
Amorim remarked, “He [Martinez] is a guy with a lot of character.”
He is used to that stress because he is “extremely good on the ball” and has won the World Cup, but he showed today that he is a top player.
He is a small man, but he did well today against a team that had tall players.
It was impressive to watch 5′ 9″ Martinez leap high to beat 6′ 6″ Nick Woltemade in the opening half.
Even though Amorim had to protect a player who had just returned from cruciate knee ligament surgery, there must have been concern when Martinez took the field two minutes later when Tyler Fredricson, age 20, replaced him.
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Fredricson did a good job. However, he also had Heaven with him to provide more stability.
The former Arsenal youngster started against West Ham on December 4, and he almost immediately was booked and looked so shaky that it almost shocks him until Leny Yoro replaced him.
Heaven has advanced quickly in just five games and three weeks.
He excelled in the 21 December defeat at Aston Villa, where he received the host broadcaster’s man-of-the-match award, and followed that up with a mature performance in the match against Newcastle.
Amorim is warning Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt, who are currently sidelined, that due to how good Heaven has been, they are unable to be certain of receiving their places back when they are recovered.
That has two meanings. De Ligt was United’s best defender up until a back injury forced him to miss the West Ham game. Meanwhile, Maguire is still waiting to find out whether United will renew his contract when it expires this summer.
Amorim remarked, “I am really pleased with Ayden.”
He seems to be improving every game, he says. He performed incredibly well, which demonstrates how effective training is for playing.
Ranvir Singh, a presenter for Good Morning Britain, has revealed her mental transition as she acknowledges that she feels “the most confident in myself” and that she is “content in my own skin.”
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Ranvir Singh has opened up on her feelings at 48(Image: Instagram @debbiedresses)
Ranvir Singh has revealed she feels the “most sure of herself” as she edges towards 50. The Good Morning Britain presenter, 48, admitted she doesn’t worry about her weight anymore, but admits she strives to be strong.
The ITV star revealed she has revitalised her mind and body in recent years and is enjoying peace from within. It comes as she confesses to the extremes she once took in a bid to be slim.
Ranvir claims she has never enjoyed working out, and that gyms have intimidated her. However, she now reveals the mental transition that makes her miss it if she can’t join a women’s only gym.
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And it’s a mental transition that also took her away from her “nemesis” – food. “Food is my nemesis,” she told Women & Home. “Like many people, I’ve overeaten because I’ve used food as a primary emotional support, constantly in a loop of overeating and under-eating.”
She now claims that having no fear has made her feel liberated. She said, “I feel the most confident in myself.” I feel more at ease… I feel more at ease in my own skin than I ever have, which is not to say that I don’t feel, look, or believe I’m better. Simply put, I’m no longer a competitive b******t to myself. I’m undoubtedly becoming a friendlier with myself.
She acknowledged that the stereotypical body image of being thin was still being perpetuated. She acknowledges that she was previously thinner, calling it “so detrimental.”
However, she says she no longer thinks about her weight as it doesn’t matter. Instead, “being strong does”. Earlier this year, Ranvir revealed a traumatic drink-spiking episode from years ago. She described how she losther hearing and mobility with no memory of getting home. Ranvir courageously opened up on GMB in July about the chilling experience she endured years ago.
Susanna Reid and Ed Balls, the hosts of the program, spoke with spiking survivor Rachel Ovens and Ashley James, the subject of the alarming rise in these attacks. Ranvir, who was inspired by Rachel’s bravery, shared her own terrifying ordeal that occurred while she was employed in Manchester ten years ago.
She described the terrifying moment as “my very first drink,” which was at 7:30 p.m. I think I arrived early because I had a work event, but I can’t remember exactly why.
She explained that she had to order a glass of wine at the bar while she was seated by herself and had consumed half or three of it before taking the plunge into the bathroom. She explained that “the loos were down the stairs,” but everything started to swell before I could get there.”
As she described the terrifying loss of control, “My legs just gave way to me, and I found myself going downstairs,” Ranvir’s voice became quieter.
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And she acknowledges that her memory is shattered by what transpired next. “That evening is not what I remember. She admitted, her voice heavy with the weight of the unknown, “I can’t even recall coming home.”
31 December 2025 is the sale date for the February issue of Woman&Home.
As Israeli forces continue to carry out extensive raids across the occupied West Bank and carry out ceasefire violations, a Palestinian man was fatally shot east of Gaza City.
Uday al-Maqadma was sitting close to a school in Gaza when Israeli forces opened fire, according to a report from the Palestinian news agency Wafa on Friday. He died from his injuries at the hospital after being taken to a critical condition there.
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Since the beginning of the truce in October, Israel has launched deadly attacks on Gaza and placed severe restrictions on aid there. In Gaza, at least 411 Palestinians have died and 1, 112 have been injured.
Two Palestinians were shot and killed by Israeli soldiers, according to a report from Wafa earlier this week east of Gaza City’s Shujayea neighborhood.
In defiance of the ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian armed group Hamas, Israel continues to impose restrictions on essential humanitarian aid, denying displaced Palestinians essential goods and temporary housing during the harsh winter storms.
Just 244 aid trucks are entering the strip each day, according to the Gaza Government Media Office, which is significantly below the daily rate of 600 required by the truce agreement.
In the occupied West Bank, Israeli settlers have also launched more raids and attacks.
Palestinian farmers who were attempting to work on their land were detained by Israeli forces east of Tubas, according to Wafa reports that a Palestinian municipal worker was hurt after being attacked by a group of settlers outside Nablus on Friday.
Palestinian activists claim that an elderly man was detained after settlers allegedly hacked the fence around his home, as well as a woman, four children, and an elderly man who were also detained during Israeli raids in Yatta and Beit Ummar near Hebron.
Nearly never do Israeli authorities hold Palestinian settlers accountable for violent behavior.
In northern Israel, a Palestinian man from the occupied West Bank allegedly rammed his car into a crowd of people in Beit She’an, killing two others, according to police and emergency personnel.
The attack comes a day after Palestinians in the occupied West Bank were seen praying in the video of an Israeli settler crossing the road.
Israel has been carrying out our near daily attacks in Lebanon in violation of the ceasefire there in addition to the violence against Palestinians.
UN peacekeeping forces in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reported on Friday that Israeli positions in southern Lebanon once more experienced “heavy machinegun fire.” A patrol inspecting a roadblock in the village of Bastara was “close” to receiving live ammunition and a grenade, according to the UN forces.
According to a statement from the UN forces, “UNIFIL had informed the]Israeli military] about the activities in those areas in advance, following conventional procedures for patrols in sensitive areas close to the Blue Line.”
Following his side’s 1-0 victory over Newcastle United, Bruno Fernandes, the captain, and a depleted Manchester United were missing a number of senior players, including Bruno Amorim.
Manchester United 1-0 Newcastle United MATCH REPORT
After Lassine Sinayoko’s second-half penalty earned Mali a 1-1 draw with the hosts on Friday, Morocco missed a chance to advance to the last 16 of the African Cup of Nations.
The first-half penalty early in the second-half gave Morocco the lead, but Sinayoko responded on 64 minutes with a spot kick.
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Morocco’s record-breaking 19 matches were ended by a 2-0 victory over Comoros in the tournament’s opening game at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat.
Morocco, who leads Group A with four points from two games, now has their place in the knockout phase, as a result.
Mali leads Zambia by two points after drawing 0-0 with the minnows Comoros earlier in Casablanca.
On December 26, 2025, Morocco’s defenseman #03 Noussair Mazraoui and Mali’s forward #21 Gaoussou Diarra compete for the ball during the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) Group A football match between Morocco and Mali at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat. (Photo by Gabriel Bouys/AFP)
Morocco will face Zambia on Mondayy, and a victory there will guarantee that the hosts will qualify as group winners.
“We’ll look back at the second half to find out what the issue was, but we didn’t play the way we did in the first half.” We had to leave because we didn’t impose our rules. Azzedine Ounahi, a Moroccan midfielder, told the broadcaster beIN Sports that the penalty had a slight impact on the game.
“We approach the third game with the same goal: to win it and finish first in the group.”
As Morocco’s captain Achraf Hakimi recovers from an ankle injury he sustained while playing for Paris Saint-Germain at the beginning of November, Achraf Hakimi, the African player of the year, was once more an unused substitute.
Mbappe keeps watch on
On December 26, 2025, French association footballer Kylian Mbappe watches Morocco and Mali play in Group A of the Africa Cup of Nations (CAN) at Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium in Rabat. (Photo by Gabriel Bouys/AFP)
In the crowd of 63, 844, his former PSG teammate Kylian Mbappe, the current Real Madrid superstar and France captain, appeared to be sporting Hakimi’s number two on a shirt.
The Little Number 10 forced a good save from Mali goalkeeper Djigui Diarra on 17 minutes, and Diaz’s Real Madrid teammate was the main attraction on the pitch while Hakimi was on the sidelines. He then played a key role in the penalty that gave Mbappe the lead into the opening goal just before the break.
After a lengthy investigation into the pitchside VAR monitor, Mali defender Nathan Gassama eventually awarded a spot-kick following a lengthy look at the player. He attempted to stop Diaz from dribbling past him inside the box with his hand.
Soufiane Rahimi from Morocco saved a spot kick against Comoros, but Diaz deflected the ball in the wrong direction for his second goal of the tournament.
The best team in Africa, according to the FIFA rankings, couldn’t, however, as Mali won a penalty of their own shortly after the hour mark.
After being called over to check his screen, 29-year-old Cameroonian referee Abdoul Abdel Mefire awarded the penalty after a clumsy challenge by Jawad El Yami, q.
Auxerre striker Sinayoko kept his cool to savor the reward and restore parity after being accused of speaking to the referee in a public speech.
