Manchester United have suffered yet another defeat making it eight defeats in 15 games in all competitions as they crash out of the Carabao Cup.
Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United, who were beaten 2-0 in the Carabao Cup final by Erik ten Hag’s Manchester United, have taken revenge in a 3-0 win.
Goals from Miguel Almiron, Lewis Hall and Joe Willock were enough for a place in the quarter-final as the pressure builds on Ten Hag to try and arrest the slide.
Here are five things we learned about the dismal 3-0 defeat at Old Trafford, the club’s second in four days.
Hannibal lives on the edge
“Hannibal should be off. He’s lucky because the referee didn’t want to send him off,” Gary Neville said on Hannibal Mejbri after just 20 minutes of the encounter on Sky commentary.
The Tunisian midfielder probably highlighted exactly why his chances at Old Trafford have been limited since his promising batch of appearances in September, looking unsettled early on and trying far too hard.
The midfielder struggled to impose himself in possession and while he settled emotionally into the game, he was hooked after just 65 minutes, replaced by Bruno Fernandes in the second half.
Dalot terrible defensively
Diogo Dalot, who has been one of the club’s few consistent performers this season in the absence of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, perhaps summed up the club’s plight at this moment in time.
The Portuguese defender was caught out of position for the first goal by Miguel Almiron and was played around far too easily for the second goal and Eddie Howe’s Newcastle exploited Dalot’s side time and time again.
The former FC Porto defender was substituted at half-time and you wonder with Aaron Wan-Bissaka’s return, whether the Englishman will reclaim his starting spot.
Casemiro substituted again
The Brazilian midfielder, who is bizarrely the club’s top goalscorer, made his return to the first-team in the Carabao Cup game but was taken off at half-time.
After being substituted against Brentford in the 2-1 win, the midfielder made his long-awaited return but, once again, looked miles off the pace.
Casemiro scored the first goal against Newcastle in the cup final but nearly a year on, he looks miles off those high standards for the Red Devils.
Wan Bissaka’s positive return
After a dismal first half for United, Wan Bissaka, after seven weeks out, came on and immediately made an impact from that right-hand side.
The Englishman was Ten Hag’s first-choice right-back at the start of the season and after the terrible first half, the former Crystal Palace defender added something different, which was better than nothing.
Once Wan-Bissaka returns to full fitness, you would expect that he would be reinstated into the first team, and rightly so.
Ten Hag on a tightrope
There have been many new lows over the past decade for United but losing to Newcastle’s B team is surely a contender for the lowest of lows.
Ten Hag looks like a man under pressure and he made more half-time substitutions but to no avail as they were soundly beaten.
The former Ajax boss’ job is safe for now, but questions surely need to be asked about the Dutchman’s future. The football currently being played has been abysmal.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
