Man Utd news: Newcastle Utd thrash sorry Red Devils at St James’ Park

A sorry Manchester United side were thrashed 4-1 by Newcastle United at St James’ Park on Sunday.

After going into halftime level, the visitors’ hopes for all three points were briefly ignited, but a clinical display from the hosts saw three unanswered goals put into the away net in the second half.

For Ruben Amorim and his beleaguered troops, attention now turns to Thursday’s crunch Europa League quarter-final second leg against Lyon, currently poised at 2-2.

Sports News Blitz writer Robert Bore picks through the bones of another humbling defeat.

Little optimism ahead of trip to Newcastle

I know I'll miss it when it's gone but if it went tomorrow I doubt I'd mind – the Premier League, a weekly drain on my emotions and the destroyer of my sanity.

The sporting succubus.

So it was now Newcastle away, 11 wins in 15 league games and Champions League qualification on their minds.

Ruben Amorim clearly thought what the rest of us were thinking after Andre Onana's horror trip to France and gave the United number one the weekend off, Altay Bayindir thrown into the firing line for his first EPL start with Tom Heaton on the bench.

What it means for Thursday's Europa League second leg against Lyon remains to be seen but the Portuguese was adamant this was to clear the Cameroonian's head rather than serve it up on a platter. Not quite a Jim Leighton moment.  

It was also a first league start for Harry Amass, United's fourth-youngest player to begin a Premier League match for Man Utd aged 18 years and 28 days, behind Mason Greenwood, Federico Macheda, and one Phil Neville.

The 18-year-old began ahead of Patrick Dorgu, rested along with the recently impressive Casemiro and Harry Maguire, with Christian Eriksen and Victor Lindelöf drafted in.

Newcastle, ominously, were unchanged for the fifth game in a row and had Anthony Gordon back on the bench. Obviously, they were heavy favourites despite manager Eddie Howe being hospitalised on Friday and absent for the Sunday peak slot showdown. 

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Quick start sees hosts take lead

There was an early warning for the visitors as they gave the ball away cheaply and Jacob Murphy flashed a long-range effort just past the far post.

Not that the Reds weren't without some promise in the opening exchanges, Joshua Zirkzee and Bruno Fernandes combining for some FIFA 25 stuff, cutting through the home rearguard with delicious one-touch football before the Dutchman's on-target effort was saved by Nick Pope.

Manuel Ugarte was then shown a yellow when it looked like he'd got a toe on the ball after Diogo Dalot had slipped and left United's right-hand side exposed, but they survived the opening 20 minutes relatively unscathed.

Alexander Isak headed wide but was probably offside and as United tried to one-touch their way out of trouble a loose ball from Ugarte was recycled.

When it dropped to Isak, what appeared a heavy first touch allowed him to lift it over the United backline for Sandro Tonali to run on and volley into the far corner. It was a lovely goal from the hosts but looked wholly avoidable.

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United struggle to create anything

Dalot showed more of his usual intelligence by dropping a four-yard pass behind Fernandes, who could only shank it into touch as a result and it felt like it could become a long afternoon.

Fernandes was already looking pissed off and we weren't even a third way through the game but the 11/4 on offer for his booking didn't appeal. Neither did Tonali being given acres of space to set himself and fire just wide as the United defence dallied.

The Newcastle attacks felt like they were becoming a little more frequent.

Garnacho almost found his captain with a cut-back as United broke but the arms thrown up in the air told their own story as he failed to connect.

Isak should have made it two, Bayindir reacting brilliantly to push away the Swede's close-range effort after getting a hand on the initial cross. Seconds later Isak caused chaos again, rounding the keeper but was driven wide and thankfully his far-post cross landed to a red shirt.

Dan Burn headed just over but was offside as the hosts came again and United couldn't get out or hold the ball up.

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Visitors equalise through Garnacho

All of a sudden, from nowhere, it was level.

Ugarte did brilliantly well to win the ball midway in his own half and then keep it under pressure. Dalot had continued his run forward and played in Garnacho who had cut in from the right and side-footed coolly into the far corner just before a despairing defensive slide came in.

It was as welcome as it was unexpected, none more so than for the young Argentinean who had looked short of form a week ago.

Kudos to Amass who was tasked with fending off Fabian Schar from defensive corner duties, which looked every which way a mismatch as the big centre-half tried to bully the baby-faced youngster.

Leny Yoro was having none of it mind you, pushing the Swiss centre back to the floor and copping for a yellow car for his troubles. But nice to see.  

Garnacho switched to the left briefly and saw his low strike beaten away by Pope as the game moved into added time and it wasn't that terrible to be honest, United managing to withstand passages of Newcastle pressure and also show a threat on the break, even without a strong focal point up top.

Against usual convention, it was also the first time this season that United had conceded the opener in the first half of a league game but went into the break either level or leading – I'll take that as progress.

The stats didn't read well though, United only going on to win two of their last 15 Premier League away games that have been level at half time, drawing six and losing seven.

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Newcastle turn on the style with two quick goals

The second half started in a lively fashion, Dalot losing his balance in the box after Zirkzee turned well on the halfway line and Amass had a go from range but ballooned it over.

But only four minutes had gone when Newcastle edged back ahead.

Livramento crossed low to the far post after poor defence from that man Dalot and the chance looked gone, but Murphy hadn't given up and recycled the ball back across and Harvey Barnes arrived at pace and without pressure to stroke home.

There was more disaster for Amorim as Zirkzee, who had followed up his impressive cameo on Thursday with some good work today, skipped through the Newcastle midfield and goalward but pulled up on the turn with what looked like a hamstring issue.

Rasmus Hojlund was immediately summoned while his coach also threw the (slightly) lesser-spotted Mason Mount and Patrick Dorgu into the fray for Garnacho and Amass, the Argentinean presumably given some rest ahead of more important assignments pending.

However, when it rains, it pours.

And it poured again in the 63rd minute. The usually reliable Noussair Mazraoui didn't look in too much trouble despite some pressure from Barnes but the Moroccan slipped at the wrong moment and the former Leicester man strode on and into the United box before dispatching the ball home expertly.

That felt like that or a matter of whether Newcastle wanted to up the ante and the goals-for column.

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Another strike buries Red Devils

Ugarte fired tamely at Pope as the game ebbed into the 75th minute and then United imploded yet again, and yet again it was their keeper at fault, trying to play a narrow chipped ball over Joelinton's head but he was able to intercept and Bruno Guimaraes did the rest.

The even lesser-spotted Luke Shaw replaced Mazraoui while Newcastle changed three but by this time I'd stopped really caring, even when Kobbie Maioo replaced Fernandes.

The game petered out.

Shaw crossed for Hojlund who couldn't direct his header at target under pressure while Newcastle were now playing at a canter.

It was as poor a half as we'd seen all season, the hosts shrugging off United's first-half resistance and taking advantage of poor choices or slips from the visitors.

But as the away fans continued to sing in the top tier, anyone with red leanings knows it's only really Thursday nights that count this campaign.

Although, a performance like this in five days’ time and it's game over for 2024-25 and any hope of a Champions League berth and the much-needed finance that comes with it.

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