Manchester United’s struggles continued with a resounding 4-1 loss to Newcastle at St James’ Park on Sunday, prompting a scathing assessment from former captain Roy Keane. The defeat followed a disappointing Europa League draw against Lyon and underscored what Keane described as significant deficiencies within the team.
The match saw Sandro Tonali open the scoring for Newcastle in the 24th minute, quickly countered by an equalizer from Alejandro Garnacho. However, Harvey Barnes stole the show with a brilliant brace in the second half, complemented by a late goal from Bruno Guimarães, sealing United’s fate.
Currently languishing in 14th place in the Premier League table, having secured just 10 wins from 32 matches, Manchester United’s performance prompted a blunt critique from Keane. He characterized the team as “physically and mentally weak,” highlighting a persistent pattern of underachievement.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Keane stated:
> “It wasn’t good enough in the second half from Man United. That’s 14 league defeats now, and we keep searching for excuses. There aren’t enough players that can run, or want to run. They are also lacking as a goal threat.”
He further elaborated on their shortcomings:
> “You have to dig deep when facing adversity, and they failed to do so in the second half. Man United now are physically and mentally a weak team.”
Keane expressed his skepticism regarding any recent improvements within the squad, stating:
> “We said at halftime that the real test was still to come for United. Newcastle are an outstanding side who have developed a habit of performing well in big games; Manchester United are the opposite.”
He continued, pointing out the Toon’s superior qualities:
> “Newcastle were simply too fast, too powerful and displayed greater determination. United struggled to cope with the pace of their attacking players, and they received the outcome they deserved.”
The pundit also noted:
- United lacked the ability to run effectively.
- There was a noticeable absence of goal-scoring threat.
- The team failed to demonstrate mental fortitude under pressure.
Despite this setback, United will quickly return to action on Thursday as they aim for a semi-final spot in the Europa League against Lyon. Newcastle, meanwhile, face Crystal Palace in a Premier League fixture on Wednesday evening.
The future remains uncertain for Newcastle manager Eddie Howe, who was hospitalized earlier this week; his participation in their next match is yet to be determined.
