Louise Taylor’s match report has landed, which is my cue to go and sidle up to the nearest radiator. Thanks for your company, correspondence and diverse views on Ten Hag, or as one reader called him, Van Gaal.
Human nature being what it is, I didn’t get any mail about Eddie Howe, who continues to do a phenomenal job at Newcastle. I’ll be back on Wednesday to see if Man United can bounce back against Chelsea. Do join my colleagues tomorrow for the 2pm GMT games, followed by Man City v Spurs at 4.30, plus West Indies v England in Antigua from 1.30 till about 9.30. For now, it’s goodnight from me and over to Louise.
Ten Hag wasn’t asked about one incident, though I can’t talk as I missed it myself. Just before half-time he appeared to have a frank exchange of views with Anthony Martial, who is not usually outspoken. There was clearly something Martial and Marcus Rashford were not happy about.
It may have been the fact that Bruno Fernandes was playing deeper than usual, next to Kobbie Mainoo, with Scott McTominay acting as more of a No 10. McTominay is a handy second striker but not much of a passer. This meant that there was little or no service for Martial and only a bit more for Rashford, who did at least stage a couple of promising counters in the first half.
That said, neither Martial nor Rashford was doing much tracking back. The players nearest to them – Fabian Schär for Martial, Tino Lovramento for Rashford – were both able to enjoy a walk in the Park.
Here’s Erik ten Hag, keeping his cards close to his roll-neck. “We had a tough first half. I said at half-time ‘OK we are pleased we are 0-0, to stay in the game’. But we didn’t, and then we had a good comeback in the last part of the game, but that is the fight we have to show… The rewards are for Newcastle United and we move on to Wednesday.” (When they are at home to Chelsea.)
“I will talk with my team,” he says. “We had some good chances, with Reguilon, and we thought we’d scored a goal – offside. But, overall, Newcastle deserved to win.”
Asked about Marcus Rashford’s form, Ten Hag says: “I talk with him about that, not with the media.” He may have learnt his lesson after bad-mouthing Jadon Sancho in public and starting a rift that has now lasted three months.
“We stick together,” he adds, “we keep to the plan. This team is resilient.”
Eddie Howe is talking now, in his usual calm way. “I couldn’t be happier with the players tonight.” he says. He makes subtle points about both of his excellent full-backs, noting that Livramento was delaying his arrival on the left wing to let Gordon move inside, and that Trippier was holding the ball well, “waiting for the right pass”.
A few sportspeople don’t just captain their team, they embody it, and Trippier is one of them. Even though he’s not the official club captain.
The commentators are comparing Anthony Gordon’s performance with Marcus Rashford’s. They reckon Gordon should be dislodging Rashford from the England squad. But Rashford was playing out of position tonight, and he has done consistently well for England, as Gareth Southgate has said. Yes, Gordon deserves a place in the squad, but it’s Jack Grealish who should be looking over his shoulder.
An interesting take from Arun Kumar. “Ten Hag is a talented young manager at the biggest and the most poorly run club in the world,” he reckons. “He over-performed last season. This season will be harder and the injuries haven’t helped. The players they have aren’t top tier.” Really?
“He is also competing in the most competitive league in the world and against two of the modern greats in the game who have been at their club for more than five years.” Pep and Klopp, I presume. “He needs a few years at the club before he can change things.
“United can finish in the bottom half for all I care. This is a club that has eras of success with nothing in between. That’s why supporting this club is so amazing. Thankfully there were no MBMs and online punditry when Sir Alex and Sir Matt managed United.” Ouch. I have a feeling that Fergie, for one, could have coped.
Pitiful display by #MUFC. The worst of the season. Players barely committing to pressing + then descending into frantic hope balls as Newcastle dropped deeper. The team whose full XI played 90mins on Tuesday looked far fresher.
Another email about the Schär stamp. “I’m a United fan,” says David Flynn, “and I wouldn’t agree that was a red card. Bruno [Fernandes] is so annoying that I think the threshold for fouling him should be higher than for other players.” Oof.
Newcastle go fifth, inching above Spurs on goal difference. Spurs play at Man City tomorrow, so that goal difference nay not be about to improve.
Man United slip to seventh. This is their record against teams from the top half this season: played five, lost five. They’ve scored two goals and conceded 12. And yet, going into this game, they were top of the PL form table. They are a mystery managed by an enigma.
The Newcastle players are doing a lap of honour, and why not. Hey Jude rings out again. One of the presenters points out that this time two years ago, Newcastle were bottom of the Premier League.
“Get IN,” says Michael Moore. “Insipid performance, inadequate recruitment, inept management. Will the Radcliffe investment inspire introspection and invigorate a return to the incisive style of play that’s instinctive to United’s DNA?” Ha.
And that’s it. Newcastle hold on to win and they fully deserve it. They played with intent and skill for all 100 minutes; Man United matched them for about 15.
90+3 min Garnacho gets to the byline, but his cross is a patsy and Newcastle race away on the counter. Isak gets to the brink of the box, where Amrabat manhandles him and gets away with it.
90 min That seems fair … the Pope injury took up about three mins, Fernandes’s not much less, and there have been a few subs. Bring it on! There could easily be one more goal in this, probably for Newcastle, but not necessarily.
OMG! Antony finds the net … but Maguire is clearly offside in the centre-forward position and the ball brushes his chest as it fizzes past him. Still, a sign of life.
87 min Man U have been better for the last five minutes, which isn’t saying a great deal. Hojlund slips Garnacho into the area and Trippier times his lunge beautifully. He’s been the best player on the pitch.
Time for an email, from Matthew Lysaght. “Thinking that Anthony Martial would be in anyway effective 2 games in a row,” he says, “should be a sackable offence on its own.”
80 min Trippier takes his seventh corner and Dalot clears. Mainoo and Wan-Bissaka go off; Amrabat and Reguilon come on. It’s hard to see it making much difference. If the score stays like this, or gets worse, Erik ten Hag’s record in big away league games will go from abysmal to worse: played 11, drawn one, lost ten.
77 min Livramento, who still has the freedom of the left wing, chips a cross in that curls out of play. Then Maguire scythes down Gordon and gets a yellow card. Man U are all over the place.
72 min Fernandes, now recovered, sends Antony away on the counter with Hojlund in support. One squares to the other … but Newcastle have five men back out of nowhere. Hojlund is bundled off the ball in a way that the ref finds legitimate.
70 min In three games between these sides since Man U lifted the League Cup, Newcastle have won 2-0, 3-0, and are now winning 1-0 (which should be 6-0).
“Fernandes,” says Martin Lancon. “I seem to remember a much less forceful accidental stamp on a foot being a red card for Rashford.” Ha.
