Manchester United vs Newcastle: Preview, Betting tips and Predictions

Manchester United vs Newcastle
Old Trafford
5:30pm

Manchester United must win this game, they don't have a choice.

The Red Devils lost at Westham last weekend and it wasn't pretty, the Hammers took the game to them, beat them bank robbers and turned the heat on Jose Mourinho who now has more nays than his at Old Trafford; in the loss to the Hammers, everything went wrong for the Red Devils and Mourinho said after the game that some players care more than the others, whatever that means must be sorted before early pace setters go completely out of sights.

Newcastle are in trouble and they don't look like getting out of it soon.

Early fixtures weren't kind to them but they shouldn't have lost last weekend to Leicester, right in front of their own fans, in fact they showed more resilience against the likes of Arsenal, Spurs, Chelsea and City than they have against Cardiff and the Foxes, if they want to stay up, they have to start picking points.

Manchester United are a gulf apart in terms of the quality of men available to the two but they are not firing, there are more points between the top two and United than there are between United and Newcastle who are second from bottom; setting up to nullify oppositions is a sign of weakness in your own preferred tactics, Mourinho often starts Fred on the bench just to accommodate taller midfielders, believe in the quality of your men and set up to confound your opponents not benching quality players just because they aren't big enough.

Solomon Rondon is unavailable for the visitors so Joselu will continue to start, Man United can call on Marcus Rashford who served a ban for head butting Bardsley in their 2:0 win over Burnley, being the last time they won a football match. Manchester United must win, they don't have a choice.

Player to watch: Romelu Lukaku
Verdict: Manchester United to win