Newcastle embarrass Man Utd in Carabao Cup as Ten Hag is unable to find respite in his safe place
Newcastle United did more than get revenge for their Carabao Cup final defeat to Manchester United. They embarrassed Erik ten Hag’s men in the one competition the Dutch manager could use to forget about his troubles.
There is a lot more that needs fixing than the manager. But against Newcastle on Wednesday night, Ten Hag’s men looked completely lost, which they have done far too many times already this season.
There is no sign of a turnaround under the Dutch manager. At this stage of his tenure, you would expect an evident philosophy and it is no surprise that Marcus Rashford’s woeful form (he is the worst finisher in the Premier League on current form) is coinciding with the overall form of United. Ten Hag relied on moments of individuality last season and Rashford was able to provide them nearly every single match.
The England forward’s ability to find the back of the net was the main reason United ended their trophy drought last season. Facing Newcastle during the Magpies’ only blip of 2022/23 certainly helped too. And it is that Carabao Cup win that gives Ten Hag the credit in the bank he sorely needs; the competition gave him a bit of respite and seemed like one Ten Hag simply could not lose in.
In his safe place (Old Trafford in the cup), Ten Hag’s face was rubbed into the dirt by Eddie Howe, who made eight changes and was still able to watch his players stroll to victory. Last season, Ten Hag accused Howe of looking to slow games down, and he took that personally by blowing them out of the water in the first game after the Carabao Cup final loss and that is exactly what happened again on Wednesday night, proving that he is a better manager and has a team with a style of play and players that love playing for him.
A lot has been made of Manchester United’s midfield this season with Casemiro in particular looking like a lost cause and with Hannibal Mejbri and Mason Mount alongside him against Newcastle, he was given plenty of legs around him. But it was Hannibal and Mount who were caught lacking for the opening goal of the night.
Tino Livramento carried the ball up the pitch, brushing off the young Tunisian and striding past Mount like he was not there, to slot in Miguel Almiron, who was playing on the left for once after replacing the injured Matt Targett in the opening minutes.
It was embarrassing, to say the least. Lewis Hall’s goal was at least a nicer goal to concede. What a lovely way to score your first senior goal.
The hosts started the second half well after Ten Hag turned to Sofyan Amrabat and Aaron Wan-Bissaka off the bench. You got the feeling that Newcastle would weather the storm and assume control after five or ten minutes, but the pressure was there – without creating any proper chances – until Joe Willock’s sucker-punch goal which made it 3-0 after 60 minutes.
Like against Manchester City, a few toys were thrown out of the pram and Gary Neville put it very well, saying: “It’s not passion, it’s petulance.” A rare good point from the Sky Sports pundit and co-commentator.
The Old Trafford boos were unsurprising and it now feels like a matter of when, not if, for Ten Hag. Yes, the job is a poisoned chalice and yes, the ownership situation is not helping, but at the end of the day, Ten Hag and his players have one job and that is to ensure United perform on the pitch. They are a million miles off doing that at the moment. Would a change of management help? Probably not. A Carabao Cup exit makes anything possible. Ten Hag is under a lot of pressure.
The Carabao Cup is no longer Ten Hag’s saving grace but it looks like the perfect opportunity to end Newcastle’s long, long wait for a piece of silverware. Reaching the final last season was a sign of things to come and with Arsenal also out, you have to consider the Geordies favourites to win the competition.
Knocking out Manchester City and Manchester United in back-to-back rounds is a testament to Newcastle and Howe. Regardless of who they draw in the quarter-final, they can go all the way, and with Pep Guardiola and Ten Hag dethroned as Carabao kings, there is a vacancy that Howe is more than ready to fill.
Winning this competition would be the perfect way to get the monkey off the club’s back and the Newcastle boss knows that. After they get that first trophy under their belts, the Magpies will get a taste for it, and within a few years, progressing in the Carabao Cup will be the least of their concerns.
It is nothing but positives for the St James’ Park club but over at Old Trafford, it is nothing but misery…and leaks. Ten Hag can consider himself a man under pressure and having lost in the competition he once used as a way to actually enjoy his job, this is probably the closest he has been to the sack as Manchester United manager.
