There does not seem to be a bottom, at least in the Premier League competition, for Manchester United. Forget the idea of a “new manager bounce,” as Ruben Amorim is just as bad, if not worse than Erik ten Hag. Albeit in a very small sample size, ahead of the clash at home versus Newcastle United.
As brutally awful as United have been in the league, they still won domestic cup competitions in the past two years.
Man United vs Newcastle United FYIs
Kick: Mon. Dec. 30, 8pm, Old Trafford, Manchester, UK
Team News: Man United Newcastle United
Google Result Probability: Man United 36% Draw 27% Newcastle United 37%
PL Form: Man United LLWLL Newcastle United DLWWW
PL Standing: Man United 14th, 22 pts Newcastle United 5th 29 pts
I can’t even begin to try and explain it, but it is what it is. Shifting gears to Newcastle, their overall story arc as a club seems a little more straight-forward. 2022-23 was a breakthrough year (resulting in a Champions League berth for the next season), but then 2023-24 was a big step down, due to the season long injury crisis.
Now, here in 2024-25, they have been much more healthy, and that has made all the difference, as they’re competing for Europe again.
Starting XI Predictions
Man United
Andre Onana; Leny Yoro, Harry Maguire, Lucha Martinez; Noussair Mazraoui, Diogo Dalot, Casemiro, Kobbie Mainoo; Amad Diallo, Alejandro Garnacho, Rasmus Hojlund
Newcastle United
Martin Dubravka; Tino Livramento, Fabin Schar, Dan Burn, Lewis Hall; Bruno Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali, Joelinton; Jacob Murphy, Anthony Gordon, Alexander Isak
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.