Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag could not hide his frustration following Sunday afternoon's disappointing result against Newcastle and has called out a couple of his players for failing to snatch a late win. The former Ajax boss insists that either Marcus Rashford or Fred should have emerged as a hero for the Red Devils after spurning successive big chances in the afternoon's draw at Old Trafford.
It was largely a frustrating afternoon for the Red Devils who did everything but were unable to breach Newcastle's robust backline legitimately. In the mix of a couple penalty shouts that were ruled out by the Video Assistant Referee and Cristiano Ronaldo's two disallowed goals, the Old Trafford outfit had to late opportunities to go ahead but were unable to capitalize on any.
The first of the two big incidents saw substitute Marcus Rashford use his incredible pace to his advantage to round off Nick Pope before setting up Fred for a potential opener. However the Brazilian midfilelder fluffed his lines and sent his attempt wide of the post in the 89th minute while under pressure from a defender.
Moments later, Marcus Rashford found himself in a very promising position in the Newcastle penalty area and was picked out by Casemiro with a brilliant outside-the-foot cross. However, despite connecting with the ball, his header went wide of the post to the anguish of the United bench and fans alike.
Following the conclusion of the game, Ten had was not too critical of his side. However it was evident that the Dutchman expected more from his players, especially in the dying embers of the game. "The performance was good, a clean sheet, we pressed well, we controlled the game and in stages we were good on the ball - especially in the second half," Ten Hag said in his post-match interview.
"Then, we dictated the game and in the end we could - we should - have scored the winning goal. One from Fred, and then [Marcus] Rashford had to score. In the end we could have got the win, we deserved the win, and it is a big compliment to the team that we deserved this with a physical performance against one of the most physical teams in the league.
"They [Newcastle players] all had cramp and we kept going. The team understands from front to back we cooperate together. We are hard to beat and we must keep that going."
With the result, Manchester United remains in fifth position with 16 points to their name. 11 points currently separates the Old Trafford club and league leaders Arsenal ahead of their clash with Tottenham Hotspur at home on Wednesday night.
