Manchester United ignored three warning signs before Newcastle defeat

The most disappointing thing about Manchester United's defeat to Newcastle yesterday was that this result had been coming for weeks.

Erik ten Hag's side deserves credit for managing to grind out gritty results this season, but the flip side of that is that they have also been getting away with some questionable performances too.

For well over a month now, there have been matches in which United have played just as badly as they did at St. James' Park, though they largely went unpunished thanks to a combination of wasteful finishing, moments of magic, and chaotic spells in which games turned on their head.

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David de Gea defied the odds to keep them in the home match against Leicester, before a strong second-half showing gave the false sense of a comfortable win. It was similar in the FA Cup win over West Ham, which also escalated to give a false sense of security.

United were poor from the very start against Southampton, but Casemiro's red card glossed over the display and gave an excuse for the dropped points, and in the previous match against Fulham, they didn't deserve to win but were gifted it by the visitor's chaotic capitulation.

Yes, to play poorly and win can be twisted into the sign of a top side, but there were also plenty of warning signs that went unheeded in the process.

It has all helped contribute to a sense of complacency, as Ten Hag stuck with the same players on Sunday who have largely got away with it over the past few games.

Casemiro's absence was felt massively again, and was certainly a factor in the weak display, though there can be little sympathy offered to United given they have known for weeks they would have to deal without him for