Manchester United Fan View: Three things we learned in the defeat at Newcastle

Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United suffered a league defeat into the hands of Newcastle United, who were top quality on both sides of the pitch and made sure that the visitors could not make chances with ease.

The result has made a small difference to the league table, which ensures that the likes of Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur are prepared to catch up to the Red Devils.

Here are the three things we learned from United’s latest result in the league.

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Ashley Young and Chris Smalling are not good enough

United’s recruitment process following the Sir Alex Ferguson era has not been effective at all, with half of the arrivals failing to show their true quality at the club allowing other players such as Young, Smalling and Phil Jones to continue to play for the side year by year. Jones has surely become a better player since completing his move from Blackburn Rovers, however, both Smalling and Young have not done enough to be seen as anything more than a squad player.

Focusing a bit on Smalling, who has to be one of the first individuals to leave the club when the transfer window reopens in the summer. It makes one wonder why he still manages to start ahead of Marcos Rojo and Victor Lindelof on a weekly basis.

Meanwhile, Young has been a good player so far this season but the left-back position in the long run is owned by Luke Shaw, who has unfairly been in and out of the starting line-up.

Only Sanchez and Lukaku impressed

Whilst Anthony Martial, Jesse Lingard and Paul Pogba did not put their stamp on the game from the start till the end, the only two attackers who were creating chances and were making things happen were actually Alexis Sanchez and Lukaku.

Unfortunately for the pair, the rest of the team were not on their wavelength and the opposition’s goalkeeper was not tested as much as the away supporters had hoped for.

This won’t be mentioned as much due to the defeat, but Lukaku’s build-up play was top notch and his crosses into the box were very important despite none of them leading to any goals. The media and rival fans complain about his lack of influence in attack, though, most of them do not understand how much he offers to the side even when he is not banging goals in for fun. Alexis was also very good on and off the ball, on the other hand, a draw or win would have been possible if the rest of the team were on his level of mentality and work rate.

Mourinho needs to sort his plan out for games away from home

Many supporters including myself understand that Mourinho does not tend to implement an attacking style of play as he would rather allow his attackers to create their own linkup play and deadly combination on the counter attack.

However, this can only work in the games at Old Trafford and not in the fixtures away from home as United’s current situation is levels behind the potential that the squad actually have as a whole.

United’s limitation in the 4-2-3-1 to either being defensively toothless or unconvincing in attack means that the manager needs to make a few personnel and tactical changes if he wants to see his men succeed anytime soon.

It might be easier said than done, but the team’s performances and results away from home against the sides in the top half of the table is scary to see whilst their best results have come versus the weaker teams in Swansea City and Watford.