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Man Utd suffered a 4-1 defeat to Newcastle in the Premier League on Sunday and Nicky Butt criticised the display.
Nicky Butt suggested no Manchester United players showed “they cared” against Newcastle on Sunday.
United travelled to St. James’ Park looking to return to winning ways, but they suffered a heavy defeat, despite going into half-time with the game at 1-1 after Alejandro Garnacho’s goal.
Harvey Barnes scored twice in the second half and Bruno Guimaraes scored a fourth for the hosts after a mistake from Altay Bayindir. The Turkish international came into the side because Andre Onana was dropped from the squad, but he failed to convince during his audition on Tyneside.
Newcastle did the league double over United for the first time since 1930/31. The defeat was the 14th of the Premier League season for United and Butt tore into the team on pundit duty.
Speaking to Premier League Productions, Butt suggested United didn’t look like they cared against Newcastle, and he pointed out a lack of athletism in Ruben Amorim’s struggling side.
“It is easy to sit there and apologise but for me if you go on a football pitch you have to do something about it,” reflected Butt. “I did not expect Man United to come here and win. Newcastle are a better team, better individuals, better athletically, more power, more pace.
“I don’t know how Man United go on the football pitch and allow it to happen. I came here [as a player] and lost 5-0, so it can happen. But allowing it to happen is something different, I didn’t see one tackle or one bit of aggression. I didn’t see anybody go head to head with anybody.
“You have to at least go and show that we are not going to accept this lying down. They just lay down and let themselves get beat too easily. They have no power and no pace, it is sad to see. I see Christian Eriksen who was a top player and now can’t move, can’t run.
“The midfield of Newcastle is so powerful. I didn’t see a Man United team that were prepared to go and kick somebody and show that they care. For me it’s walking football. It’s too passive, there’s no energy It’s slow.”
Butt continued: “It was too easy. Harvey Barnes ran right through the middle of the pitch, that can’t happen. He should have been thinking he should have passed to Isak for the goal but it was that easy for him.
“They played most of the second half playing passes on the edge of their own box playing three yard passes. It’s just boring to watch. As top class players, when do they realise with their own brains that we can’t pass the ball next to our own box because we will concede goals.
“Clip some balls up the pitch, at least try to get the balls in the right areas. Somebody has to have the nous to clip some balls up the channels they don’t even do that.
“You can’t blame the manager for that, with 52,000 you can’t hear the manager, so somebody has to take control of the game. They are not good enough to play on the edge of their own box and they keep doing it. It was ridiculous.”
United next play against Lyon in the quarter-finals of the Europa League on Thursday night.
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Published: 2025-04-14 13:26:04 | Author: [email protected] (Steven Railston) | Source: MEN – Sport
Link: www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk
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