Winless after seven matches, Newcastle United will look to claim three points against an elite, but inconsistent Manchester United on Saturday.
With zero wins and only two points from seven matches, it is no surprise seeing Newcastle United occupy a relegation spot in the Premier League table in October. The Magpies have put in some decent performances, but they have struggled for most of this season.
Their opponents on Saturday, Manchester United, are also experiencing an unusual poor start to the new campaign. With a record of three victories, one draw and three losses, Jose Mourinho is on the hot seat as his team is already five points behind the top four.
🎥 Rafa Benítez and his players have been working hard on the training pitch today as preparations continue for Saturday's @premierleague game at @ManUtd... #NUFC pic.twitter.com/JSCet7nuNc
— Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) October 3, 2018
Kick-off is set for 5:30PM in Manchester and both sides will be playing with a purpose. The Red Devils will look to assure their supporters that they can handle business against an inferior opponent at home. The Magpies will look to show that despite their poor form and low table placement they can compete against top teams in the league.
Counter-Attacking Football
Even though Manchester United played Champions League football earlier this week, they will disregard fatigue and will focus on attacking the Magpies. In seven matches this season, the Red Devils have only scored 10 goals, but they have created 94 scoring chances – seventh best in the league. As a result, Newcastle will spend most of the evening defending, whether they like it or not.
With that being said, supporters should expect Newcastle to play conservative football and only attack when an opportunity to create a counter-attack presents itself. With Salomon Rondon still out due to a thigh injury, it will either be Joselu or Yoshinori Muto up top. Joselu is known as a hard worker, but lacks the quality to become a consistent scorer. Muto is a newcomer to the league and could have a rude awakening against an elite opponent on the road.
This means that Newcastle’s midfield must create the chances tomorrow at Old Trafford. Newcastle have the pace to compete with Manchester on the wings and the strength to win duels in the middle, but they need to maintain some possession. If the Magpies can hover around the 40% possession mark then they can string together some meaningful passes to build attacks through the middle and outside. However, Toon fans should expect their side to do more chasing than creating tomorrow.