Manchester United’s recent 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United was heavily criticized by defender Luke Shaw, who described the performance as “unacceptable” and “nowhere near good enough.” The result saw the Red Devils drop to fourth in the table, having not won or scored in their past three league games. Shaw believes that Newcastle won on desire, passion, hunger, and attitude, rather than quality. He also noted that the players had a chat in the dressing room after the game with no staff present.
Erik ten Hag’s side have had a successful season so far, having won the Carabao Cup at Wembley in February and reaching the semi-finals of the FA Cup and the quarter-finals of the Europa League. However, Shaw believes that big improvements are needed if Manchester United are to qualify for next season’s Champions League. He said that they have to get back to winning ways and show the same passion and determination as their opponents.
Ten Hag denied that the cup runs had impacted on the league form, but former Red Devils defender Gary Neville believes that Manchester United have not shown up against the big teams this season. He said that they deserved to get beaten and that Newcastle’s performance was far better, as they wanted it more. It is clear that Manchester United need to make some changes if they are to compete with the top teams in the Premier League. They must show more passion and determination in order to get back to winning ways and qualify for next season’s Champions League.