Manchester United tried to beat Newcastle at their own game and failed

As full-time loomed, Eddie Howe pointed at Erik ten Hag. The finger of blame for this limp defeat must also be directed at the Manchester United manager.

Howe took umbrage with Ten Hag's complaint about Nick Pope's time-wasting when David de Gea had been at it in the first half. United attempted to beat Newcastle at their own game with their gamesmanship and dependence on the counter-attack. They failed.

That questionable balance was an admission of Newcastle's status as top-four competitors. It was beneath Ten Hag and it never came close to succeeding.

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United made two substitutions with the game goalless and were still lifeless. Newcastle were enlivened and five minutes later Joe Willock nodded in. There were three more changes from Ten Hag and Newcastle soon scored again.

The Newcastle substitutes charged past the gruff Ten Hag to celebrate Willock's winner and their coaching staff spilled onto the pitch. It has been a lifetime since this fixture felt so significant in the Premier League for Geordies and Newcastle have now supplanted United to take third place.

Marcus Rashford, Anthony Martial and Lisandro Martinez attempted quick getaways at full time only to be instructed to acknowledge the away-dayers by Bruno Fernandes and Steve McClaren.

This was an extension of the fatigued form United displayed in all of March and the tail-end of February. Come Monday evening, they may have tumbled down to fifth.

Newcastle have played a dozen fewer matches than United this term but three of Ten Hag's starters had not played in a fortnight, Luke Shaw had gone 10 days without playing and Marcel Sabitzer nine.

This performance again undermined Ten Hag's insistence United fare well