Manchester United’s stars were playing ‘walking football’ with no ‘energy, pace, or power’ in their 4-1 thrashing by Newcastle, says club legend Nicky Butt.
The ex-midfielder believes they lack the ‘aggression’ or determination to turn around their fortunes after a 14th loss of the season left them 14th in the Premier League.
Harvey Barnes (two) and Bruno Guimaraes struck in the second half as Newcastle ran riot, though the score had been 1-1 at half-time after Alejandro Garnacho cancelled out Sandro Tonali’s opener.
Roy Keane blasted the Red Devils as ‘physically and mentally weak’ in the aftermath and Butt did not hold back either. He also singled out one star who ‘can’t run’ – a particular problem in Ruben Amorim’s system.
‘It is easy to sit there and apologise but for me if you go on a football pitch you have to do something about it,’ Butt, 50, told Premier League Productions.
‘I did not expect Man United to come here and win. Newcastle are a better team, better individuals, better athletically, more power, more pace.
Man United have been accused of lacking ‘aggression,’ ‘pace,’ ‘power,’ and ‘energy’
Nicky Butt hit out at ‘walking football’ with ‘ridiculous’ decisions in the 4-1 loss to Newcastle
He said he didn’t see the Red Devils ‘show that they care’ as they suffered a 14th league defeat
‘I don’t know how Man United go on the football pitch and allow it to happen. I came here [as a player] and lost 5-0, so it can happen.
‘But allowing it to happen is something different, I didn’t see one tackle or one bit of aggression. I didn’t see anybody go head to head with anybody.
‘You have to at least go and show that we are not going to accept this lying down. They just lay down and let themselves get beat too easily. They have no power and no pace. It is sad to see. I see Christian Eriksen who was a top player and now can’t move, can’t run.
‘The midfield of Newcastle is so powerful. I didn’t see a Man United team that were prepared to go and kick somebody and show that they care. For me it’s walking football. It’s too passive, there’s no energy. It’s slow.
‘It was too easy. Harvey Barnes ran right through the middle of the pitch, that can’t happen. He should have been thinking he should have passed to (Alexander) Isak for the goal but it was that easy for him.
‘They played most of the second-half playing passes on the edge of their own box playing three-yard passes. It’s just boring to watch. As top-class players, when do they realise with their own brains that we can’t pass the ball next to our own box because we will concede goals?
‘Clip some balls up the pitch, at least try to get the balls in the right areas. Somebody has to have the nous to clip some balls up the channels they don’t even do that.
‘You can’t blame the manager for that, with 52,000 you can’t hear the manager, so somebody has to take control of the game. They are not good enough to play on the edge of their own box and they keep doing it. It was ridiculous.’
Ruben Amorim’s side sit 14th in the league and rely on the Europa League for the ambitions
Roy Keane blasted United for being ‘physically and mentally weak’ after their collapse
Butt won 15 trophies with United between 1992 and 2004, including six Premier League titles and a Champions League.
Newcastle completed the league double over United for the first time since 1930-31, with Jason Tindall taking the reins in the absence of Eddie Howe.
Next up, United host Lyon in the second leg of their Europa League quarter-final – their last chance of qualifying for the Champions League.
The Red Devils are currently tied 2-2 after two huge errors from goalkeeper Andre Onana, while his spat with Nemanja Matic still overshadows the tie.
