Man Utd 4-1 Newcastle: Mistakes cost us a naive NUFC - but we weren't all that bad?
Quality prevailed in the end as Man Utd ran out 4-1 winners, but I won't be overreacting to today's defeat.
We had a go and were every bit as good as the hosts for the opening 37 minutes. Gayle's opener and first goal of the season gave us a deserved lead. Yes we were picked off from then on out, but at least we took the game to them in the first half - something quite a few fans wanted to see after a few too many toothless away performances is it not?
It didn't work out, and our slightly more attack minded, 4-4-2 set-up meant we were far more open defensively as a result, but it's sometimes worth giving it a go in search of three points, opposed to sitting back, never getting out of our own half and falling to a predictable defeat to nil?
Some perspective: Paul Pogba alone (£89m) cost more than our entire starting XI today (£75m)!
They're the biggest spenders in the PL, are unbeaten in 37 at home & we're a newly promoted side who put in a real strong showing in the first 37 minutes up until the equaliser.
Seeing Gayle get back on the scoresheet also good to see - making him the first player to score against them at Old Trafford in the league this season!
Yes we were a little too open at the back, but at least we had a go - even if we were punished for it at the other end as a result.
It's disappointing how it panned out after going 1-0 up, but let's stay positive ahead of a big game against Watford on Saturday.
Player ratings: (4-4-2) – Elliot (5) – Yedlin (7), Lejeune (6), Clark (6), Manquillo (5) – Ritchie (5), Hayden (5), Shelvey (7), Murphy (6.5) – Gayle (6.5), Joselu (5.5).
