Newcastle, England ¨C Frustrated Manchester United players held a meeting without manager Erik ten Hag after being humbled in a 2-0 loss to Newcastle United on Sunday, said defender Luke Shaw, who gave a brutally honest assessment of his team.
¡°I¡¯m not going to go too much into that, but the players had a bit of a chat in the changing room after with no staff around,¡± the 27-year-old told Sky Sports.
¡°Because it¡¯s down to us players on the pitch, and it was nowhere near good enough. We had to speak out in front of each other.¡±
Newcastle leapfrogged Man United into third in the Premier League standings, and exacted a measure of revenge over its visitors after a 2-0 loss to United in the League Cup final in February.
¡°We were disappointed with the final,¡± said Callum Wilson, who along with Joe Willock scored Newcastle¡¯s goals on Sunday at St James¡¯ Park. ¡°It left a sour taste in our mouth. We had to put it right in front of our fans.¡±
They made it right in fine fashion, outmatching their opponents in virtually every position on the pitch.
Manchester United¡¯s poor performance was tough to stomach, said a visibly angry Shaw, especially coming after the international break.
¡°Not what we wanted. Not what we were expecting. When you come here to a tough stadium and a very good side and you don¡¯t come with the right attitude and hunger it will be a tough day. That showed today. We deserved to lose,¡± he said.
¡°The whole team had a bit of rest,¡± Shaw added. ¡°Our levels had dropped, that was clear to see. Coming in today we felt good and ready for the game. The whistle goes and it¡¯s the complete opposite to what we¡¯ve been doing in training. Unacceptable.¡±
The defeat means Manchester United is fourth in the standings, only a point ahead of Tottenham Hotspur in the race to seal a spot in next season¡¯s Champions League.
Newcastle simply wanted it more, Ten Hag said.
¡°I hate to say it but they were better today ¡ª especially their determination, passion and desire. They wanted to win more so they won,¡± the Dutch coach said.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.