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Manchester United traveled to St. James Park knowing very well that a win could get their season back on track before the international break. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s men had been shambolic in midweek against AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League, where they could not manage a single shot on target in the entire game. United’s season has been turning from bad to worse, as the Red Devils had just 1 win in their last 5 games in all competitions. Solskjaer desperately needed all 3 points against Newcastle to turn the season around, but it was hardly going to be easy.
The Norwegian was missing Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Paul Pogba, Luke Shaw and Anthony Martial ahead of the trip, while Eric Bailly was a long term absentee. Newcastle United were languishing at the bottom half of the table and on paper, there was only one winner.
However, the Red Devils have developed a recent habit of squandering chances and had struggled to stamp their authority in the last few games. Solskjaer, as such, was wary of his opponents while naming his first eleven.
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Manchester United starting XI: David de Gea; Diogo Dalot, Axel Tuanzebe, Harry Maguire, Ashley Young; Scott McTominay, Fred, Juan Mata; Daniel James, Marcus Rashford, Andreas Pereira.
United were the better team in the first half but failed to find a breakthrough. Newcastle then took the lead against the run of play in the 72nd minute through Matthew Longstaff. The Red Devils rallied till the end of the game, but could not summon an equaliser. Here are 5 players who were poor for Manchester United.
#5 Scott McTominay
The Scottish midfielder started alongside Fred as a part of the double pivot but failed to control the midfield. Scott McTominay was tasked with providing added security to the backline, but he was regularly caught out of position as Newcastle broke on the counter-attack. The Scottish midfielder was also poor with his passing, as he ended the game with a 77% passing success rate.
McTominay was also bullied in the middle, as he won only 38% of the aerial battles and had a 60% tackle success rate.
#4 Andreas Pereira
The Brazilian continued to be a part of the makeshift front three that had been used extensively by Solskjaer of late but had been unable to impress. Andreas Pereira failed to have too much impact from the right and soon shifted to the left side. Unfortunately though, the Brazilian struggled on the other side of the pitch as well, and it hurt United on the day.
Pereira was sloppy with his passing and his decision making was also not up to the mark. He did manage to hit the target once in the game but was hardly a threat going forward. The Brazilian had only 43 touches on the ball and ended the with a 79% passing success rate, and did not register a single key pass in the whole game. Pereira was also not too effective with his off the ball pressing and he only registered a 33% tackle success rate.
#3 Juan Mata
Juan Mata was selected in his preferred central attacking midfield role but was one of the poorest players on the pitch. Manchester United have been lacking creativity in their team this season and in the absence of Paul Pogba, the Spaniard was expected to step up and take the bulk of the creative responsibilities in the team. Unfortunately though, Mata had a quiet game.
The Spaniard did not register a single shot in the entire game, as he failed to stretch the opposition backline on the day. Mata had a passing success rate of 91% in the game, however, he could not register any key passes. He rarely threatened the opposition backline and his overall performance left a lot to be desired.
On a day where Manchester United desperately needed Juan Mata to step up and be counted, the Spaniard had an off day and cost his team the game.
#2 Fred
Fred was one of the few players who had struggled to seal a place in the first eleven after Solskjaer’s arrival last season. The Brazilian was expected to step up after the departure of Ander Herrera in the summer. However, he still found himself on the fringes of the first-team at the start of the season.
Manchester United’s recent injury problems had given him a great opportunity to showcase his skills to his manager. Solskjaer opted for Fred alongside Scott McTominay against Newcastle United in the absence of Paul Pogba, with the hope that the Brazilian could dictate the game from deep. Sadly, Fred had a day to forget on the pitch.
The Brazilian did not make a single key pass in the game and failed to control the tempo of proceedings as well. His defensive contributions were not too impressive either and Manchester United were regularly vulnerable on the counter.
#1 Marcus Rashford
Time is running out for Marcus Rashford at Manchester United. The Englishman started the season with a brace against Chelsea, but since then, nothing seems to be working for him. Rashford was expected to step up in the absence of Anthony Martial. However, he has been guilty of missing too many chances while playing as the No. 9. His lack of precision and confidence in the final third was visible yet again against Newcastle United.
The youngster was clearly one of the poorest players on the pitch and his movement and positioning were far from perfect. Rashford did not register a single shot in the game, which is extremely alarming, and as a result, United were toothless in attack.
The Englishman attempted only 1 dribble in the game, which was unsuccessful. Rashford’s lack of confidence in the final third was visible with his overall gameplay and the Newcastle defence had no trouble in dealing with him.
