Man Utd sink into disappointment

At the end of the first half, thousands of Man Utd fans sang a song of support for coach Ruben Amorim, even though the home team did not have a single shot on goal and were down 0-2, showing the fans' faith in the Portuguese coach, even though the team faced their fourth consecutive loss in all competitions.

The Old Trafford crowd only vented their anger on the players. And when striker Joshua Zirkzee was replaced quite early in the 33rd minute, making way for Kobbie Mainoo, the fans cheered as if they had just scored a goal. At that point, Man Utd had not yet scored a goal.

The "Red Devils" even conceded two goals in a scenario where Newcastle crossed the ball from the left for the tall players inside to head. Coach Amorim used two players who are good at defending high balls, Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire, but the Man Utd centre-backs did not keep up with striker Alexander Isak when he headed in an open position to open the score from defender Lewis Hall's cross.

In the second goal, the Man Utd defense did better to catch Anthony Gordon's cross, but it was not enough. Because the 1.75m tall center-back Lisandro Martinez was at a disadvantage when having to mark the 1.86m tall midfielder Joelinton. The Brazilian player jumped up from behind Martinez to head the ball from about 5m away, defeating goalkeeper Andre Onana.

Newcastle even wasted a series of chances to overwhelm Man Utd in the first half. But the home team did not have many dangerous moves to hope for a comeback in the second half. On a day without captain Bruno Fernandes due to suspension, the "Red Devils" lost a creative player, while Amad Diallo was often closely followed by the away team's players.

Also without Fernandes, coach Amorim brought Marcus Rashford back into the squad, but did not let the striker play. The 27-year-old player bit his nails several times when he saw the team he had been with for 20 years being overwhelmed right at home.

This is the first time in 45 years that Man Utd have lost three consecutive matches at Old Trafford. In their last three Premier League matches, they have failed to score a single goal, conceded seven times, and are 10 points behind fifth-placed Newcastle.

Coach Amorim and his team will have five days off before playing their next match against the top team Liverpool at Anfield on January 5, 2025. 2024 ended in a forgettable way for the "Red Devils", but what is more frightening is that the losing streak may continue for them at the beginning of the new year 2025.