Manchester United suffered their 14th defeat of the Premier League campaign following a 4-1 loss to Newcastle United at St James’ Park on Sunday.
The Red Devils faced a tough challenge against an in-form Magpies outfit and could not cope with their work rate over the course of 90 minutes.
Altay Bayindir was handed a surprise league debut in goal for the Red Devils but produced a nervous performance with a passing accuracy of just 49 percent.
The Turkey international finished the game poorly by gifting the Magpies with their fourth goal.
Meanwhile, Christian Eriksen had a forgettable outing in the centre of the park alongside Manuel Ugarte.
The 33-year-old is no longer in the prime of his career, and his pedestrian pace meant he could not cope with the Magpies’ hyper-intense midfield pressing.
Eriksen won just 50 percent of his contested duels (2/4). He lost possession on eight occasions.
The Dane, who had 54 touches in the game, had a good passing accuracy of 89 percent. He contributed to an impressive move involving Bruno Fernandes and Joshua Zirkzee.
However, he could not keep up with the Magpies intensity and was outrun by the opposition. He failed to track Harvey Barnes’s run for the third goal.
Eriksen won two tackles but did not make a single clearance or interception. It is quite clear why he has not been handed a new United contract.
His current deal expires at the end of June, and the midfielder has personally admitted that he is poised to leave the Red Devils on a free transfer.
United need a robust central midfielder ahead of next season. The club are reportedly ‘expected‘ to make a formal offer for Atalanta star Ederson.
Stats from Sofascore.com & Transfermarkt.com
