McTominay is one player ten Hag can count on. — Reuters
STAR-STUDDED Manchester United seem, even from a neutral’s viewpoint, to be stumbling from one debacle to another.
At the moment, it seems to be goalkeeper Andre Onana who has been handed the leading role in a drama of pure chaos.
The Red Devils were up by two goals in the first half of the Champions League clash at Galatasaray, only to see the Turkiye side hit back in the second half to earn a draw and leave Man United on the cusp of crashing out of Europe’s most elite tournament.
Onana, who moved to Old Trafford in a £45mil transfer during the off-season, was roundly blamed for the shambles.
It left beleaguered Dutch manager Erik ten Hag to publicly declare that he was to blame – an obvious move to deflect attention from the Cameroon international goalkeeper.
Onana has been a bit of a letdown since he arrived in Manchester.
And indeed, in September, he went on record as having said that he “let the team down” after fumbles saw Bayern Munich win their Champions League opener 4-3.
There is speculation about whether ten Hag will use Onana against Newcastle in tonight’s late kick-off.
However, there are no such doubts about Scott McTominay.
The Scotsman has been one of Man United’s go-to players, even if he didn’t get recognition earlier in the season.
He has proven to be one of ten Hag’s more trusted stars in recent weeks.
As or Newcastle, Eddie Howe and his outfit will not concern themselves too much about what is happening in the Red Devils’ camp but rather keep the focus on building on a couple of good results.
They dispatched Chelsea 4-1 last weekend and then held Paris St Germain in the Champions League Group match midweek.
A similar good performance against Manchester United will propel them up the table.
The Tyneside club, seventh in the standings, are behind Man United, who are in sixth place.
Meanwhile, Arsenal will be aiming to consolidate their position at the top of the table with a victory over Wolves.
While the fixture looks easy for the Gunners, Wolves could prove difficult to beat.
They were robbed by video assistant refereeing last time and are said to have lost seven games so far this season to poor decisions.
A change in the rub of the green may see them benefit from some good form they have shown.
Something Man United will also be hoping for when they travel to Newcastle.
