This may be the decisive match in Jose Mourinho’s Premier League career. If the Red Devils disappoint once again, the management may decide to say farewell to the Special One. But, Manchester United have a much better team than Newcastle, plus they play at the Old Trafford. In normal circumstances, they would be huge favorites here, but the pressure is high, so not everyone is convinced we’ll see a home win. To find out what to expect from this game, make sure to read this Manchester United vs Newcastle match preview!
Manchester United
The Red Devils are without a win for more than two weeks, losing two and playing draw twice along the way. All of this wouldn’t be too disappointing if Man United played against big-name teams in those matches, but they lost to teams like Derby County and West Ham, as well as played draw with Wolves and Valencia at home.
Obviously, there’s something rotten in the squad of Man United and many are blaming the manager. Reports have been leaked about his beef with one of the currently best midfielders on the planet, Paul Pogba. Mourinho is also apparently disliked by a number of other players, whom he’s criticized this entire season.
Actually, Mourinho’s criticism of the players is what many think is the real cause of the bad atmosphere in the locker-room. Instead of giving them support, he’s been scrutinizing some of them in public. Sure, that doesn’t seem like something a good person would do, but perhaps Mourinho is right. Maybe his players are just not good enough to compete for trophies?
Sure, the Red Devils have a couple of fantastic players, but not all of the first XI seem good enough for a team of their reputation. For example, their defenders, Lindelof, Shaw, Valencia, and even Smalling, don’t seem capable of stopping even mediocre Premier League attackers. Furthermore, even those players who are perceived as top-class have not been performing well. Lukaku, for instance, seems to always struggle to score in big matches.
Newcastle
The Magpies’ manager Rafa Benitez is planning to kick the Red Devils while they’re down. Unfortunately, this match is a must-win for Mourinho’s boys. Therefore, beating Man United at the Old Trafford seems like a mission impossible for Newcastle. And they’re gonna have a difficult time even trying to snatch a single point.
The obvious reason why they’re huge underdogs here is that the player quality is on the side of the Red Devils. But, there’s one more thing – Newcastle have been completely out-of-form this season. In fact, in seven Premier League matches they’ve managed to grab only two points.
On top of everything, there’s the issue with injuries. Although their injury list isn’t extensive, there are a couple of key men that are struggling with fitness. Rondon, Dummett, and Fernandez are some of those guys.
Team News
Manchester United absentees:
- Jesse Lingard (injury)
- Ander Herrera (injury)
- Marcos Rojo (injury)
- Ashley Young (doubtful)
Newcastle absentees:
- Florian Lejeune (injury)
- Salomon Rondon (injury)
- Federico Fernandez (doubtful)
- Paul Dummett (doubtful)
Possible Lineups
Manchester United
De Gea – Smalling, Baily, Valencia, Shaw – Matic, Fred, Pogba – Rashford, Mata, Lukaku
Newcastle
Dubravka – Lescalles, Clarc, Yedlin, Atsu – Diame, Shelvey, Ritchie, Murphy – Perez, Joselu
Manchester United vs Newcastle Match Prediction
The fact that Man United are in a poor form only means that the odds on their win are high. And this doesn’t mean they won’t win the game. They will! Not only are they the better side, but they’re now in a situation where anything but a win would be a disaster.
Manchester United vs Newcastle Betting Tips
- Manchester United @1.44 (bet365)