Michael Carrick changed how Man Utd train at Carrington immediately after his appointment as interim boss.

“We are not happy the way we played tonight,” said Michael Carrick after losing against Newcastle. “The way the game panned out we had it in our hands largely but credit to Newcastle and they way they approached it.

“We knew it would be tough, but we navigated the game to a position where we could kick on, but we didn’t. Bitterly disappointed really. We just didn’t play good enough. We can’t make excuses for that.”

Manchester United have not enjoyed trips to St James’ Park over the last few years, and each game has had a similar feel: the red shirts have struggled to match the intensity of the black and white shirts.

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Speaking after the game, Eddie Howe agreed the United-Newcastle fixture brings out the best in his side, and he praised the impact of the home supporters, who created a hostile atmosphere.

United knew what to expect at St James’ Park. Carrick stood in the Gallowgate End as a boy and understands the power of Newcastle’s support, but United lost the midfield battle, struggled against the home side’s intensity and could not secure a result, despite having an extra man for the second half.

The Reds last won at St James’ Park in October 2020 when fans were absent due to the Covid-19 pandemic. You have to go back to January 2019 for the last win at Newcastle with fans in attendance.

United were overwhelmed again on Wednesday night and Carrick needs a response after his first defeat. His credentials for the job will be influenced by the reaction.

The performances marginally regressed against West Ham, Everton and Crystal Palace, so the defeat against Newcastle wasn’t a complete surprise, but the manner of the loss was concerning.

United looked undercooked. The failure to qualify for Europe and exits at the first hurdles of the domestic cup competitions mean United will play their fewest number of games for over 100 years this season, and the disadvantage of a bare schedule was highlighted at St James’ Park.

The players seemed unable to match Newcastle’s intensity, so how does Carrick address the issue? The fixture list is out of his control, but he can tweak training at Carrington to bring back their spark.

When Carrick was appointed, he started by changing training sessions, putting on shorter sessions but with more intense days, and putting an increased focus on individual work with specific players to help them improve.

The players responded to the new energy from the backroom staff. Carrick enjoyed a remarkable new manager bounce, beating Manchester City and Arsenal in his first two matches.

However, recent performances suggest that shorter training sessions but more intense days may be counterproductive. Although it would be the perfect approach if United had a congested fixture schedule, the shorter sessions may not be helping the squad to match the opposition’s intensity.

The problem is that maximum match sharpness can only truly be unlocked by playing regular games. It is no wonder United looked undercooked against Newcastle given their lack of games.

Carrick may consider reverting to longer training sessions, making another tweak to the training regime, and the option of arranging friendlies at Carrington should also be considered.

United have an 11-day gap until they play Aston Villa on March 15. The Reds then have a 24-day gap between playing Bournemouth on March 20 and facing Leeds on April 13. That space should be filled with behind-closed-doors friendlies.

The club has considered arranging a mid-season friendly abroad, but a trip to Saudi Arabia, for example, would simply be a money-spinning exercise, not a trip for footballing reasons.

United have arranged behind-closed-doors friendlies at Carrington in the past. It would be a sensible way to get some much-needed match practice into the legs to maximise the team’s intensity at Villa Park.