Newcastle United and Manchester United are both experiencing poor runs of form. How cautious should the Magpies be against the Red Devils?
After losing at home to Leicester City over the weekend, Newcastle United are set to face Manchester United next weekend at Old Trafford. Newcastle thought they could claim their first victory of the season against Leicester City, but now they will have to try to fulfill that objective against Manchester United.
The Red Devils are the most vulnerable standard member of the top six, but do the Magpies have sufficient quality to expose those weaknesses? In short, the answer is no. Manchester United are out of sync at the moment and Jose Mourinho is on the heat seat after his side started this campaign with three wins, one draw and three losses.
Manchester United are struggling, but they still possess a far more superior roster compared to Newcastle United. With that being said, should Newcastle try to attack or should they be cautious and play for a point?
Balanced Mentality
Against Manchester United on the road, Newcastle United would be wise to play it safe. Playing things safe does not mean kick in to ultra-defensive mode. Instead, it means that Newcastle should focus on being competitive in midfield and attack when they have enough bodies behind them to prevent a counter-attack.
After losing to West Ham last weekend, it is expected that Manchester United will attack from the opening whistle. The only thing that Rafa Benitez can hope for is that the Red Devils deploy a weaker and slower lineup after playing Valencia just four days prior to facing his Magpies.
Regardless of the lineup deployed by his Portuguese counterpart, Benitez should remind his players to stay grounded and composed. Manchester United have too much quality at every position, so Newcastle must be cautious. At the same time, however, Newcastle’s schedule will become significantly more lenient after this match.
With that in mind, Newcastle should not be afraid to take some chances in this affair, especially in the second half. Why settle for one point when three are up for grabs ahead of an international break and then Brighton at home? Manchester United will be the clear favorites on Saturday, but Newcastle should not bow down to their opponents too much.