Newcastle United were hammered 4-1 by Manchester United on Boxing Day, as Ole Gunnar Solskjaer finally discovered the right formula for the Red Devils to win games when they have the majority of possession.
But the visitors made it easy for Manchester United with a catalogue of defensive errors which the hosts gratefully capitalised upon. Steve Bruce will have to make sure his side only offer other teams up presents because it’s Christmas time, as if they continue to do so after the festivities have concluded then the drop zone is impending for the North-East outfit.
Newcastle United have kept five clean sheets this season, the same as they had at this stage of the last campaign. But if that number starts to drop the Magpies could be in a heap of trouble. Currently, Bruce’s side have kept out 4.77 goals they would have been expected to concede, and it is their tight defensive unit that has helped maintain their position in the top half of the Premier League heading into the Manchester United fixture. So far this season the Magpies have scored just 19 times, the joint third least in the English top-flight, and with nobody acting as a prolific source of goals, the defence becomes incredibly important and it let the side down at Old Trafford.
The usually reliable Martin Dubravka was off his game. Having put in a sensational performance against Manchester United on his debut for Newcastle, he did quite the opposite on Boxing Day, making an error that led to a goal. Fabian Schar is also often one of Bruce’s most dependable players, but he had an uncharacteristically poor afternoon against the Red Devils. Despite making some substantial defensive contributions, he was at fault when a lapse in concentration led to a goal for the hosts. Furthermore, Sean Longstaff made it a hat-trick of Newcastle players at fault for goals with an error of his own.
It was painful for Bruce to watch, and after having had such a promising start to the campaign the Newcastle United manager will be hoping that is not the peak of their season. If their defending does not improve when the Magpies face Everton at the weekend, they could be heading towards a fight for survival.
