And Peter Ramage – who played under Paulo Sousa at Queen Park Rangers – isn't surprised at their mean streak.

The former Juventus midfielder has guided Swansea to fourth in the Championship with a defensive-minded approach, and Ramage is predicting a tight contest at St James's Park.

With Newcastle on a four-game winning run, Chris Hughton's side are favourites to take all three points.

But defender Ramage believes Sousa will have an astute gameplan in place by the time his team – who have shipped just 12 goals this season, two more than United – arrive on Tyneside.

"He's a very thorough manager," Ramage told the Gazette. "You train Monday to Saturday, and it's all geared towards the opposition, more so than any other manager I've worked with.

"Every session's geared towards something specific – everything's thought out, and he tried to make things hard for the opposition.

"He's very thorough about things, and has that European mentality. He thinks about the potential problems you'll come up against, and tries to rectify them.

"He's a good coach – one of the best I've come across in terms of preparation.

"When we played them earlier in the season they kept the ball really well, which is something he preached when he was at our place. They pass and move, and create space for players to create chances.

"He's very much a football man – he lives and breathes football, and I'm not surprised they are where they are.

"They don't score many goals, but they're solid at the back. They don't concede many goals, and get a lot of 1-0 victories. They're a really tough outfit."

Sousa – who won Champions League and Serie A titles with Juventus – succeeded Iain Dowie at QPR, but he lasted less than five months at Loftus Road.

This season, the 39-year-old Portuguese succeeded Wigan Athletic-bound Roberto Martinez at the Liberty Stadium.

For the first match report from St James's Park tomorrow, log on to www.shieldsgazette.com after the game