April 02, (THEWILL) – Manchester United’s players held a post-match meeting without manager Erik ten Hag, after their dismal 2-0 loss to Newcastle United on Sunday.
Speaking after the loss, defender Luke Shaw gave a blunt appraisal of the team’s performance: “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 avenged their League Cup final defeat to Man United in February with a convincing victory that saw them leapfrog their opponents into third place in the English Premier League standings. Callum Wilson, who scored one of Newcastle’s goals, said: “We were disappointed with the final. It left a sour taste in our mouths. We had to put it right in front of our fans.”
Shaw, visibly angry after the loss, admitted that the team’s performance was “unacceptable” and that their levels had dropped since the international break. Man United are now in fourth place, just one point ahead of Tottenham Hotspur in the race for a UEFA Champions League spot.
The dismal performance of his Red Devils’ side was without question for Ten Hag, who admitted that Newcastle “wanted to win more” and were the better team on the day.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
