Man Utd legend blasts 'weak' Red Devils after Newcastle United defeat

Newcastle United laid down a marker in the Champions League race with a comfortable win against Manchester United - and that led an Old Trafford legend to deliver a withering assessment of his old club.

The Magpies went into the game looking to rack up a third consecutive home win over the 13-time Premier League champions and complete a first league double over their visitors since the 1930/31 when a 4-3 win at St James Park came just months after a remarkable 7-4 win in Manchester.

Newcastle made a positive start and got the breakthrough midway through the first-half when Sandro Tonali got on the end of a neat pass from Alexander Isak before volleying home a second St James Park goal in as many games. That goal was cancelled out by Alejandro Garnacho eight minutes before half-time - but the second-half was all about the Magpies as they raced out of the blocks after the restart and blew away Ruben Amorim’s side.

It took just four second-half minutes for the Magpies to restore their lead as Harvey Barnes tapped home from close-range before the former Leicester City winger made it three goals in two games with a powerful run and finish. A final humiliation for the visitors arrived 13 minutes from time when goalkeeper Altay Bayindir’s attempted pass into midfield was intercepted by Joelinton and his header allowed Magpies captain Bruno Guimaraes to stroke the ball beyond the Turkish stopper to round off a wonderful day for his own side.

Red Devils legend Roy Keane, who won 17 major honours during 13-year spell at Old Trafford, described Newcastle as ‘outstanding’ - but described the players representing his old club as ‘physically and mentally weak’.

“I just saw another poor performance”

Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, the former Sunderland manager said: “They were not good enough in the second-half. That’s 14 league games they’ve lost now and we keep making excuses for them but there aren’t enough players that can run in the team, I don’t think there’s players that want to run, there’s nothing like a goal threat. You’ve got to dig deep even when you’re up against it and they didn’t do that in the second-half. We spoke about it at half-time, the big test was to come in the second-half.

“Look at Newcastle, they’re outstanding, they’re used to winning big games now, they’re in a really good habit. (Manchester) United are the opposite. They’re physically and mentally a weak team. Newcastle were too fast, too powerful, more determined, the pace up front, United couldn’t deal with their attacking players and they got what they deserved. Well done to Newcastle, they were outstanding, but United, there was talk of good signs for this Man United team, there are signs they are getting better. I can’t see it and I just saw another poor performance, particularly in the second-half. Not good enough. I worry for this group of players, they don’t look like a strong group mentally.”

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