HOW Newcastle only got a point against this Manchester United rabble will be a mystery for the ages.
Before the game, the Magpies were seen as relegation fodder in dire need of the Saudi petro-dollars to rescue them in January if they were to avoid the drop.
Then the whistle blew and, against all the odds, Toon battered the Red Devils from pillar to post.
As bad as Man United were – and they really were horrendous – Eddie Howe’s side were exceptional.
So to only come away with a point will have to go down as a massive missed opportunity.
A famous – and monumentally important – win was brewing on Tyneside after Allan Saint-Maximin set them on their way.
But they failed to take advantage of this bizarrely one-sided clash and were punished in the end by sub Edinson Cavani’s scrappy strike with 19 minutes remaining.
Nobody expected them to take anything from it, but to come away without the win will be a real kick in the Geordie goolies.
However, if they carry on playing like this, they should stay up with ease – even without any January reinforcements.
For Manchester United, this was as bad – no, worse – than some of the dross served by under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
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How they spent those 15 days off in between their last game is anyone’s guess.
Super sub Cavani rescued Ralf Rangnick’s flops with his sixth goal in 17 appearances off the bench.
On at half-time for Mason Greenwood, the Uruguayan’s first shot from Diogo Dalot’s cross was blocked.
But the ball fell straight back into his path, and while his second was scruffy, it found the net to save them from the ultimate humiliation.
It’s all about chasing Arsenal and Tottenham for that last top four spot for Rangnick.
However, if they continue like this, they’ve not got a hope.
Rangnick made two chances after the underwhelming 1-0 win at Norwich, bringing in Raphael Varane and Mason Greenwood for Victor Lindelof and Jadon Sancho.
There were six changes for Newcastle on the back of their 4-0 defeat to Manchester City but through a mixture of injuries and Covid could only name eight subs – including two keepers.
St James’ Park was typically noisy and boisterous under the lights at kick-off, but it exploded in joy after Saint-Maximin put Toon ahead seven minutes in.
Minutes before, Maguire had made a right dog’s dinner of a simple clearance to allow Ryan Fraser in down the right.
Varane – making his first appearance since injuring his hamstring eight weeks ago – bailed the England defender out, but the Frenchman was then culpable for the opener.
Not that Varane was the only one.
He made the first – and major error – when caught sleeping on the ball by Sean Longstaff.
The Newcastle midfielder nicked it and played it left to Saint-Maximin, and the magic man did the rest.
Cutting inside Diogo Dalot, the route to goal started to look blocked.
Not for trickster Saint-Maximin though, who then skipped inside again, this time past Maguire’s feeble challenge, before bending his fourth of the season beyond David de Gea into the far corner.
If that was the wake up call the Red Devils needed, it didn’t work.
Sloppy doesn’t even start to cover some of their atrocious play in the opening half.
Giving the ball away seemingly at every opportunity, the game was there for Newcastle to take a stranglehold of.
The rejuvenated Joelinton curled one inches wide and Jonjo Shelvey stung De Gea’s palms from 25 yards.
Surely Cristiano Ronaldo would drag them out of this latest hole?
Well, if anything captured Man United’s woes, it was the Portuguese star taking a wild air kick in front of the mocking Gallowgate.
And there was delirium inside St James’ when Callum Wilson found the net moments later, only to be flagged for offside.
Talismanic striker Wilson then hobbled off and was replaced by Jacob Murphy just before the break.
And Rangnick shook up his flops by hooking Fred and Greenwood and for Jadon Sancho and Edinson Cavani.
Not that it helped at first, with the visitors only still in it thanks to a shocking miss from Saint-Maximin within two minutes of the restart.
Emil Krafth beat Scott McTominay and delivered it on a plate for the goalscorer four yards out.
But his shot was weak and miscued, giving De Gea a chance to scramble across and smother.
Marcus Rashford almost made Toon regret it immediately with a swerving shot from distance tipped over by Martin Dubravka.
Cavani was next, scuffing a good chance wide after being teed up by Sancho.
And all that frustration boiled over moments later when Ronaldo came flying in with a rash, full-blooded kick on Ryan Fraser.
St James’ – now an absolute bear pit – was baying for a red, only for ref Craig Pawson to show Ron a yellow.
United had all the ball but Toon were a constant threat on the break, and Joelinton – a man possessed all night – played in Fraser for a great chance, saved comfortably by De Gea.
Saint-Maximin then forced the Spaniard into a smart stop down to his left 66 minutes in, with Man United STILL all over the place.
But the longer it remained 1-0 the nervier it was always going to get, and 71 minutes Rangnick’s side had their equaliser.
Dalot’s low cross found Cavani but the Uruguayan’s sweetly hit first effort was blocked.
Falling back to him, his second was scruffy as you like, but with Dubravka off balance it squirmed into the corner.
There was still time for a winner though and, unsurprisingly, Newcastle looked the more likely.
In the dying minutes, sub Jacob Murphy rattled the post before De Gea pulled off a sensational save to deny fellow replacement Miguel Almiron on the rebound.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
