Luke Shaw admitted Manchester United’s players had a frank discussion among themselves in the dressing room following Sunday’s 2-0 defeat to Newcastle United at St James’ Park.
Second half goals from Joe Willock and substitute Callum Wilson secured a fully deserved victory for the home side, who leapfrogged United in the table in the process to climb to up to third, albeit on goal difference. The Magpies were dominant throughout and should have been out of sight by half-time.
United were second best all over the pitch and produced a performance so flat and uninspiring that 2-0 flattered them. They have now lost six of seven matches away from home this season against sides currently camped inside the top half of the table.
United would have consolidated their place in the top-four with a victory on Tyneside, but, not for the first time this season, froze when the pressure was on away from home. It meant that a conversation had to be had among the players after the full-time whistle.
Shaw, speaking to Sky Sports, said: “I’m not going to go too much into that [conversation] but the players have had a chat in the changing room after with no staff around. Obviously it is down to us, as players on that pitch, and it was nowhere near good enough.
“We had to speak out in front of each other and own up to it.”
United’s fortunes have been rekindled by manager Erik ten Hag, highlighted by their Carabao Cup success in February and ongoing involvement in both the FA Cup and the Europa League. However, Shaw believes United’s players still need to find a better way of supporting each other on the pitch.
“We are a team and when we go out on that pitch we all need to fight for each other and we need to be there for each other,” Shaw added. “Sometimes, this season, it has not shown like that.
“As I have said, we had a good chat in the changing room after. I am sure we will go through it all again and speak again because I think it is important we need to realise the problems, realise them quick and change them around because we can still have a very good season.
“But with results and performances like this we can’t.”
Gary Neville tells Erik ten Hag what he got wrong in Manchester United defeat to Newcastle
Gary Neville felt Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag made a big tactical mistake in the Premier League defeat to Newcastle United.
Second half goals from Joe Willock and sub Callum Wilson consigned United to defeat and saw Newcastle leapfrog them into third in the race for a Champions League spot. Ten Hag’s men were second best throughout at St James’ Park as they slipped to another away league defeat.
The visitors were fortunate to be level at the break after Eddie Howes’s side spurned a host of chances but Willock nodded in from close range to break the deadlock midway through the second half. Ten Hag threw caution to the wind in the closing stages, taking off starting centre-backs Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez and introducing Victor Lindelof and Facundo Pellistri.
United moved to a makeshift back three with Diego Dalot and Luke Shaw playing either side of Lindelof but the gamble backfired as Wilson made the game safe late on. And Neville felt those late changes handed Newcastle the initiative to go and secure the points.
“Once those changes were made this was the most predictable outcome,” he said after Wilson scored. “Manchester United just had no height in there.
“You are better off having two with them both being centre-backs rather than three with two full-backs, you end up being really exposed.
“Since the two centre backs went off it has been a mess, I didn’t like it. I thought it might be like this. I never see one centre back working, it very rarely does. Shaw is playing as a second centre-back anyway, you might as well have a proper one in there.”