Manchester United interim manager Ralf Rangnick highlights key strength of Newcastle United following 1-1 draw

Newcastle took an early lead through Allan Saint-Maximin and had several chances to grab a second goal only to be denied by the woodwork and a number of excellent saves from goalkeeper David De Gea.

With 19 minutes remaining, substitute Edinson Cavani levelled for The Red Devils which saw the match finish 1-1 and the spoils shared at St James's Park.

But after the game, Rangnick admitted the hosts were the better side.

“Newcastle was better than us in many parts of the game,” he admitted. “We have to raise [our] level and get better.

“[The early goal] didn't make life easier for us in the game and of course it was a massive boost for Newcastle and in the first half we didn't play at all well.

"Second half we changed our formation and made substitutions and it was better but still not at the kind of level we have to play.

"For me there were two problems, one was the unforced errors and wrong decisions in possession of the ball which caused transitional moments for Newcastle. They are a very good team in that area with their fast, expansive players.

"The other one was that we didn't play as aggressive as we should have played.”

The result meant Man United kept their unbeaten start under Rangnick intact as they remained 7th in the Premier League table.

Meanwhile, the draw kept Newcastle 19th as they dropped more points from a winning position. Eddie Howe’s side are level on points with Burnley and two points behind Watford in 17th but they have played four and three games more than those sides respectively. While the Newcastle head coach admitted his side’s performance against The Red Devils was the best he’s seen since taking charge back in November.

But it was a contrasting view for Rangnick, as he added: "I didn't like the performance at all. We didn't control the game apart from a few moments.

"It's all about energy, physicality and who wins the second balls. In all those areas we weren't at our best. The good thing is we got a point but the performance needs to be better.”

A message from the Football Clubs Editor

Our aim is to provide you with the best, most up-to-date and most informative Newcastle United coverage 365 days a year.

This depth of coverage costs, so to help us maintain the high-quality reporting that you are used to, please consider taking out a subscription; sign up here.

Your support is much appreciated. Richard Mennear, Football Clubs Editor