"We played well in the first half and their goalkeeper made several good saves to keep them in the match," he said after the 1-1 draw at Old Trafford.
"We had possession of the ball but didn't make it count at times.
"Our attacking play in the first half was good.
"But as soon as we lost Ryan Giggs to a hamstring injury and Michael Carrick with an ankle - which is swollen up badly and he'll be out for two to three weeks - we lost a bit of our experience in midfield."
"But, in light of the people we had missing, it was a creditable result.
"Newcastle were good on the counter-attack and in Obafemi Martins and Damien Duff they have players with quality in these positions."