'Weak and clueless' - National media deliver brutal Man United verdict ahead of Liverpool

Manchester United will spend New Year's Day just seven points above the relegation zone after a fourth consecutive defeat in all competitions.

The 2-0 loss to Newcastle United was their third successive in the Premier League, with meetings against Liverpool, Arsenal and Southampton to come in the next few weeks. Relegation-battlers Ipswich Town also picked up their first home win over Chelsea and are just one point from safety.

It's fair to say their final game of the year failed to give fans any hope heading into 2025. With that said, MEN Sport has taken a look at how the national media reported on events at Old Trafford.

The Telegraph's Jason Burt wrote: "Ruben Amorim declared pre-match that it was the “end of any coach” if he changes his “idea”. Post-match and that idea – with this squad of strawmen Manchester United players – was left burning on a bonfire of vanities. It is harsh to describe Amorim’s persistence with a 3-4-2-1 system as vain when he is clearly a manager of undoubted ability who needs to be given time and has accepted an extremely difficult job.

"United have been crying out for an identity and Amorim is trying to give them that. Fair enough. But, for now, there needs to be a middle ground. Otherwise, that identity is losing. United are persevering with a shape that they do not have the players to execute – although goodness knows what formation works with this bunch. Unsurprisingly, they were beaten again.

"Amorim’s system has brought success and brought him to United, but any rational analysis has to question how he felt it could work against Newcastle. Simply look at this: he paired 32-year-old Casemiro and Christian Eriksen, never known for their athleticism, against an awesome, powerful midfield