Manchester United's next transfer targets in their rebuild are already obvious

It typified Manchester United's afternoon that when the insufficient stoppage time was announced and Erik ten Hag beckoned the crowd to respond, hardly anyone noticed.

There were high hopes for only the third United-Newcastle fixture not to be televised live in the United Kingdom in the last 10 seasons. The previous two were a 4-3 Boxing Day humdinger and Cristiano Ronaldo's second coming. The rights holders got it right.

It would be too easy to excuse the 2pm kick-off time for United's lifelessness, mirrored by many in the crowd. There were a smattering of spoilt boos at full-time, though the loudest were reserved for pernickety referee Craig Pawson.

Also read: Why Ronaldo came off and United made only one sub

Pawson was as dodgy as Fred, though he was not as decisively bad. The strongest of the penalty shouts was Callum Wilson's when challenged overzealously by Raphael Varane.

United should never resort to exaggerated tumbles. Had Jadon Sancho fallen more naturally under contact from Sean Longstaff then the Video Assistant Referee might have been inclined to intervene.

That was how desperate United were. So desperate Ronaldo chanced his arm by 'intercepting' a free-kick and scoring, claiming the ball was play. It was worth a go, as Ronaldo was onside for once. Pawson seemed to savour cautioning Ronaldo.

This run of consecutive Premier League fixtures was always going to be a reliable gauge of United and already qualms about the squad that were expressed during pre-season have come to light. Almost every vertebra of their spine needs reinforcing.

David de Gea continues to either decelerate or kill attacks with his hesitance. Warmly applauded at kick-off on his 500th appearance, he audibly irked some United