Man United looked horrible in Carabao Cup exit vs. Newcastle

MANCHESTER, England — Midway via the primary half, with Manchester United already 1-0 down, the 9,000 Newcastle followers inside Old Trafford began singing to United supervisor Erik ten Hag: “You’re getting sacked in the morning.”

With the rating at 2-0 earlier than the top of the primary half, the followers cheered each move as their crew strolled round prefer it was a coaching session.

When Newcastle’s third and closing aim got here after 60 minutes, they have been chanting, “We can see you sneaking out” — it was directed on the Man United followers making an attempt to avoid wasting themselves from additional humiliation by escaping Old Trafford early. And who may blame them?

Man United’s begin to the season has been stuffed with damaging defeats, however this was a contender for worst of the lot. Four days after their capitulation in opposition to neighbours Manchester City, Newcastle inflicted a second consecutive dwelling loss to knock Ten Hag’s crew out of the Carabao Cup.

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There’s no disgrace in shedding to Man City — extensively accepted as one of the best membership crew in the world — however this was a Newcastle aspect stripped of their regulars as supervisor Eddie Howe rested key personnel forward of essential video games in opposition to Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund. Howe made eight adjustments, however Man United are taking part in so badly he may have picked an XI from the away supporters who spent the evening singing and dancing and nonetheless received comfortably.

“It is below the standards everyone expects from Manchester United,” Ten Hag mentioned afterwards. “It is not good enough by far.

“We should put it proper. I take duty for it. It is my crew and it’s not performing. I’ve to share it with my gamers, however I’m accountable. As a crew we’re not adequate and regardless of the causes are, it’s no house for excuses.

We should do issues higher and lift our requirements in any other case you by no means get the appropriate ranges and performances. We should do it collectively and everybody has to take duty for his personal efficiency.”

Club bosses are desperate to stick with Ten Hag but just six months after the end of a successful first season as manager, his reign has descended into chaos. Man United have lost eight of their 15 games in all competitions, including five at home.

In 10 games at Old Trafford this season, they’ve conceded first six times and shipped 16 goals in total. In all competitions home and away, they’ve conceded 26 times at a rate of 1.7 per game. Such leakiness in front of their own goal wouldn’t matter so much if they could score regularly, but they can’t.

Ten Hag has had to deal with a lengthy injury list that has robbed him of his first-choice defence, but this is a crisis by anyone’s measure.

Out of the Carabao Cup, struggling in their Champions League group and already well adrift of the leaders in the Premier League, Man United are almost at the stage where they’re playing for pride. But judging by another performance against Newcastle — lacking any enthusiasm or direction — maybe even that’s too much to ask.

If Man United were going for a Halloween horror show, they were a day late.

“At this second we’re in a foul place,” admitted Ten Hag. “I perceive it when the outcomes should not there, it’s a logical course of and there are questions however I’m assured. I take duty for it.

“I am a fighter and I know it is not always going up and we have had a lot of setbacks this season but also you have to deal with it. I have said that before I know when there are setbacks, even then you have to get results. Sunday [against Manchester City] and tonight was far from that so we have to do things right at a certain level, the minimum level to win games.”

There’s an argument that, though the begin to this season has been notably poor, Man United have been sinking since victory over Newcastle in the Carabao Cup closing in February. Up to and together with lifting the trophy at Wembley — their first for six years — United had a win proportion of 72.5%. Since then, it is dropped to 54% and this season, it is fallen under 50%.

Whether the membership need to admit it or not, Ten Hag is preventing for his job. For the primary time since October 1962, Man United have misplaced consecutive dwelling video games by three or extra objectives and for the primary time in 93 years they’ve misplaced 5 of their first 10 dwelling video games in a season.

It wasn’t by chance that over the course of the 90 minutes in opposition to Newcastle, the Dutchman went from 8-1 to be the subsequent Premier League supervisor sacked to second favorite by bookmakers.

He nonetheless has sufficient assist amongst Man United followers to be applauded down the tunnel by the few who stayed till the ultimate whistle, but it surely will not final endlessly. He could not have to fret but about Newcastle’s taunt of “getting sacked in the morning” however he is dealing with a race in opposition to time to show issues round.