Manchester United and Ruben Amorim get their usual Monday kicking after being frankly rotten against Newcastle United.

You can send your own views on any subject to theeditor@football365.com

Why no conclusions?
Was there no 16 Conclusions for this match because Newcastle were playing a bottom-half side?
Chris, NUFC

(Pretty much, yes. But we did write about the game here – Ed)

That was phenomenally bad from Man Utd
Well, that was quite a performance by (Manchester) United. One of the most pitiful, brainless spectacles I’ve seen on a football pitch. There were individual blunders, such as Maz doing his best Stevie G impression (a shame for him, as he’s been very good this season) and Bayindir passing the ball directly to Joelinton, but Amorim has to take the majority of the criticism.

Picking Eriksen as one half of a midfield two might work in the Rumbelows against League Two opposition at best. He’s a class player but he’s only useful now as maybe a 10 or a false 9. Against Newcastle’s three, all of whom are very mobile, strong and committed, it was never going to work. And it didn’t. Neither did trying to work the ball down the flanks, as Newcastle’s press was too quick and tight and created dead ends every time. Nevertheless, M. United kept trying the same tactic, with the same result. There has to be a plan B in these situations.

When United appointed Amoron I got a bit giddy and foolishly signed up to six months of Now TV’s Sky service… I’m counting down the days til my contract runs out so I can spend that money on something more enjoyable, such as hiring an angry Hungarian airforce officer to throw high-velocity cowpats at my head. The thought of not watching United play ever again fills me with joy.

Thanks for listening, I feel a bit better now.
Dan in Worthing

Slip-sliding away…
I actually thought we played quite well, up to a point. But we kept slipping over. Assuming the United players weren’t practicing for Bambi on ice, then how does a premier league club go out in the wrong studs? Has Ratcliffe sacked the kit man to save money? We’ve had this problem before (please look back) and is it still the same incompetent person?

And Tom Heaton for next Thursday!
Tony

…dropping Onana was a good shout, but what chance does Bayindir have when the rest of the team is absolutely shit too?
Robert Welbourn

…I have been a fan of United since I was in Boarding school at age 11.

Joined the United supporters club in 1958, before the Munich air disaster.

Been a supporter for over 65 years.
Onana is a donkey and Ruben Amorim a bigger one

Bee better, Thomas
Have to say, I hate watching Brentford, the football they play is ok, they are a hard working team, BUT, I can’t stand Thomas Frank chewing away like a demented Big Sam, close your mouth man, seriously.
Andrew Goonerabroad Brown

Doing a Steven Bradbury (Olympics 2002)
I was wondering if this LFC PL win counted as a Bradbury.

After Arsenal’s latest 1-1 draw, it’s increasingly looking like this.

Still, compared to Leicester 2016, at least LFC did do well in Europe till they got knocked out by in-form PSG, and did reach the Carabao Cup finals.

And given that if LFC win, it’ll be the 2nd win in 35 years. EMO doesn’t appreciate it, but I certainly do 🙂
Gab YNWA

Will Liverpool implode?
So Salah and Van Dijk have signed or are set to sign an extension. I’m happy for Liverpool fans that two pillars of their squad have extended their possible last contract before they call it quits. I just hope for club’s sake that it doesn’t bite them in the ass.

For some reason I can’t fathom there have been multiple times where high profile players at the wrong end of 30 play the best football of their lives. Contract is up in the air, will they sign? Won’t they? Will they go to some oil rich club for their last big pay day (which I have zero problems with btw). The negotiations drag on and on and then finally the player signs their bumper contract extension for 1 or 2 more years.

Cue next season and they are a former shadow of the player they were the season before. Not bad mind you, but not someone you’d fork over the big paycheck every week for. After a few games, the negativity takes hold of the fans, the media starts amplifying it, every now and then the player is benched because he needs the ‘rest’. His morale wanes by the week and soon enough, talk of getting rid of the drain on the wage bill starts popping up.

In the meantime the other players look at this former great, seeing he isn’t what he was, earning stellar figures. You can’t tell me that even though every footballer is a millionaire or close to it won’t look with envy at him. Why should I work my ass off and see him fumble chance after chance? I might as well pass to someone else or go for goal myself.

I’ve seen this happen time after time with no clue why. I just hope it doesn’t happen with Salah and Van Dijk. Even though I’m an Arsenal fan, it’s better for the league as a whole when the best players are in the Premier League lighting it up.

Fingers crossed Liverpool fans, fingers crossed.
Soei (Arsenal fan who is worried for Liverpool)

READ: Michael Edwards among six Liverpool stakeholders unhappy with Salah, Van Dijk extensions

Love for Pete
Pete, my absolute best wishes and prayers pal. This is from an obvious stranger in Dublin who (unfortunately!) supports Man Utd. I can only imagine what a difficult time this is for you and your family and please just rest assured that there’s a small family of 4 Dubs here thinking about you and hoping for the best possible outcome.

Football at its best is about bringing people together to enjoy some craic, rivalry and sheer bliss on those odd occasions when everything comes together.

My sincere hope for you and your family is that you have positive news soon and if not please feel free to reach out for any support you may need (be that random calls/emails about football or more important topics) at any time day or night.

I’m more than happy for F365 (one of the final bastions of genuine football discussion still available) to pass on my contact details.

Best of luck to you and your family pal, and thanks for being brave enough to share.
Mick C, Dublin

Alan Shearer has called on Man Utd to replace two starters as priority in the summer as Ruben Amorim needs “two or three transfer windows” to have an impact.

The Red Devils are having a season to forget with Amorim’s side currently 13th in the Premier League table as they head into their final six matches of the campaign.

Only five Premier League sides have scored fewer goals than Man Utd this season with Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund – who have scored just three league goals each – coming in for heavy criticism.

Their goalkeeping department is also proving to be an issue with Amorim choosing to drop Andre Onana from his squad to face Newcastle on Sunday after he was at fault for both their goals in a 2-2 draw against Lyon on Thursday night.

Former Newcastle and England striker Shearer insists Man Utd must bring in a new goalkeeper and a new centre-forward in the summer – but urged the club to stick with Amorim as boss.

Shearer said on The Rest is Football podcast: “For them to go forwards in terms of recruitment, everything relies on winning the Europa League and getting back in the Champions League.

“We know Ruben Amorim has got a huge job on his hands, it’s going to take a lot of time and a lot of money to fix that football club. They need to stick with him. They’ve made their decision.

“He needs two or three transfer windows because they’re in desperate need of a centre forward, they’re in desperate need of a goalkeeper, they’re in desperate need of some legs in midfield.

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“It’s a huge job so you need to stick with him. But he is asking players to do something they can’t do, they’re really struggling.”

Shearer added: “Their season isn’t about today. It’s all about the Europa League. Their Premier League season has been a disaster and is pretty much over.

“What I find interesting is the fascination with playing out from the back. They’re basically not very good at it and had a goalkeeper today who isn’t good at it but they insisted on doing it.

“If you’re not very good at it Newcastle are going to pick you apart and that’s exactly what they did. They just kept on doing it.

“A manager’s job is to make players and the team better but Amorim is asking a lot of these players when they’re not very good at playing out from the back.”

Bruno Fernandes has urged Man Utd to be “fearless” and “more brave” with the Red Devils not showing the “consistent” performances he’d like to see.

Fernandes said: “There’s not much to assess, we lost the game. In the first half we did good, in the second half we couldn’t keep up the way we wanted to play.

“We know that it’s been a tough season, nothing to add to that. Our position in the table is not where this club belongs, but unfortunately we are not getting the results.

“We need to look forward as we have a big game coming up, we need to clear our heads and go for it.

“We are in this position because we have not been consistent in the performances we put out. We lack being more fearless, being more brave.

“Today this was not the case because we ended up conceding goals by trying to be brave.

“It’s easy to criticise because this club has never suffered like this, so it’s normal. You have to be aware you play for United and criticism will be there.

“Our fans have been there all season during bad moments, today they were there at the end trying to cheer us up. Its time we give something back.”

Former Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag “will not be absolved” for one choice that is still impacting new head coach Ruben Amorim, according to one journalist.

The Red Devils are having a terrible season with Amorim’s side currently 13th in the Premier League table as they head into the final six matches of the campaign.

Amorim replaced Ten Hag at Man Utd in November after the Dutchman was sacked over a poor start to the new season – but the Portuguese head coach has struggled to turn things around.

One weakness in recent months has been the goalkeeper with Andre Onana making a number of high-profile errors and it all came to a head after they drew 2-2 against Lyon on Thursday.

After becoming embroiled in a war of words with former Man Utd midfielder Nemanja Matic, who labelled him “one of the worst goalkeepers in Manchester United’s history”, Onana could be blamed for both of Lyon’s goals.

That led for calls for the Cameroon international to be dropped by Amorim for their clash with Newcastle and the Portuguese head coach obliged, leaving him out of their squad altogether.

Explaining his decision to drop Onana for Altay Bayindir, Amorim said: “We are going to prepare to choose the best XI that we think can win. I left him at home because any situation of the game, the cameras would be on him and he was not playing, he [would be] on the bench but feeling the pressure, feeling the moment.

“So, for me, it was one thing or another – you play or you stay at home. It was my choice.”

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The decision to leave out Onana had no positive impact as Man Utd were dreadful in a 4-1 defeat to Newcastle at St James’ Park on Sunday.

And Sky Italia journalist Massimo Marianella thinks former Man Utd boss Ten Hag needs to take the blame for signing Onana and allowing David de Gea to leave Old Trafford.

Marianella told LabaroViola: “I don’t think he’s the worst goalkeeper in United’s history, but certainly in the modern era.

“United had one of the best goalkeepers of the last ten years in their hands, David De Gea. And what did they do? They let him go on a free transfer and then spent €60 million on Onana. It’s an inexplicable decision, which cries out for vengeance.”

Marianella added: “One day, at the Last Judgement of Football, Ten Hag will have to explain this choice to the football gods. And he will not be absolved.”

Roy Keane laid into one Manchester United for their defending against Newcastle, with some choice words for debutant goalkeeper Altay Bayindir too.

Manchester United were hammered 4-1 by Newcastle on Sunday in their 14th defeat of the Premier League season.

The visitors at St James’ Park may have had one eye on Thursday’s quarter-final second leg against Lyon but Newcastle overpowered them to rise into the Champions League places.

By contrast, Manchester United are only three points above 17th in what is certain to be their worst Premier League campaign ever.

Keane was typically withering on Sky Sports punditry duty, with one player in particular in his sights.

“It wasn’t good enough in the second half from Man Utd,” he said. “That’s 14 league defeats now and we keep making excuses for the team.

“There aren’t enough players that can run in the team and that want to run. They are not enough of a goal threat either.

“You’ve got to dig deep, even when you are up against it, and they didn’t do that in the second half.

“We said at half-time that the big test was still to come for United. Newcastle are an outstanding side and they have got into a good habit in big games. Man Utd are the opposite.

“Man Utd are physically and mentally a weak team. Newcastle were too fast, too powerful and more determined. United couldn’t deal with the pace up front from the attacking players and they got what they deserved.

“There was talk before the game on there being good signs for Man Utd and that they are getting better, but I can’t see it. I just saw another poor performance, especially in the second half.

“It’s not good enough and I worry for this group of players. They don’t look like a strong group mentally.”

Keane found the second Barnes goal to be particularly egregious.

“Take nothing away from Barnes,” he said. “But someone’s got to lunge at him, someone’s got to tackle him. They gave a goal away again at Forest two weeks ago with someone just running through the middle of… tackle him!

“Is my voice getting higher here? Tackle him. Lunge at him. Try and do something.

“How can a player run through the middle and not get touched? Brilliant from Barnes but again, Manchester United have been sloppy in possession. A player can slip, I get it, but you’re part of a team. If you do make a mistake you hope your teammates can cover for you. No-one’s covering each other on this United team.”

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Keane also struggled to fathom the build-up to the first Barnes goal.

“You’ve got an experienced right-back and he just runs by him,” he said of Diogo Dalot, who failed to contain Tino Livramento.

“He doesn’t even grab him, he doesn’t try and tackle him, he just gives up on it.

“If anything, he helps him! He shows him goal-side. Look at this! I can’t believe it! I can’t believe that defending.

“We praise Dalot for going forward but part of being a defender is, obviously, being hard to beat.”

And Altay Bayindir, thrown in for his Premier League debut after Andre Onana’s midweek struggles, did not avoid Keane’s wrath after his poor pass was intercepted for Bruno Guimaraes’ goal.

“You go back to the decision making. It’s too risky, it’s absolutely too risky,” Keane said.

“There are players around you! At the highest level, the real top players, it’s about your decision making.

“I’m quick to defend goalkeepers when they first come into the team because it does take five, six, seven games to get up to speed with the shots, whatever.

“But that basic mistake there is just… honestly, I can’t understand it because this is top level, this is big-boy stuff.

“If you’re going to go long or you’re going to chip it, make sure you go too far so then at least it’s up the pitch.

“If you lose it there, you know what’s going to happen. If you lose it there, someone’s in on goal, on top of you. That’s just common sense.”

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