Man United beaten by Watford
Manchester United and Newcastle will go head-to-head this coming Thursday.
The Manchester powerhouse head into the tie on the back of a rather embarrassing 2-0 defeat to 20th place Watford.
The loss at Vicarage Road would highlight one of United’s biggest issues this campaign, which is that they really struggle against the sides below them.
In fact, as highlighted by the stat below, all five of United’s league defeats this term have come at the hands of teams who were below them in the table.
Man Utd’s @premierleague record this season:
teams above them
points/game & 0⃣ defeatsteams below them
points/game & defeatsFewest points at Christmas since 1989#WATMUN pic.twitter.com/jMK8EgXA4C
— Sky Sports Statto (@SkySportsStatto) December 22, 2019
Unfortunately for the Man United faithful, Newcastle are also currently below them, even if it is only on goal difference.
The Magpies have also lost just one of their last five PL outings.
Pogba to start vs Newcastle?
But there is one small positive for the Red Devils heading into their next clash.
Paul Pogba returned to first-team action last weekend, coming off the bench vs Watford.
And Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has since hinted the Frenchman could start vs Newcastle:
“Let’s see how he reacts to this [Watford game] and how he feels.
“He did really well when he came on. It’s a big, big plus and it might be that we do get him in from the start [against Newcastle] because you just want to get more and more [quality] into the team when he plays.” As quoted by Manchester United’s official website.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – AUGUST 24: Paul Pogba of Manchester United reacts during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Crystal Palace at Old Trafford on August 24, 2019 in Manchester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images)
Solskjaer praises Pogba
And while Pogba may be seen by some as a rather inconsistent performer, Solskjaer appears to be a big fan of the 26-year-old.
The Man United boss has been full of praise for Pogba recently with the Norwegian making a rather big claim.
OGS would state that Pogba is the best all-round midfielder in the world:
“He can play anywhere. He can play the whole midfield. He’s a box-to-box midfielder.
“He can drop deep, get it, play long passes. He can get higher up and combine like he did against Watford, one-twos. Him and Anthony [Martial] and Marcus [Rashford] started creating chances down that side. It depends on the [game]. That is the beauty of having Paul, because he is the best all-round midfielder in the world.
“He can do all roles but if I play him low, he should have played high. And if you play him high, you should have played low. There is always going to be that discussion with him but it is great to have him back.” As quoted by the Telegraph.
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