Breaking news: Ralf Ragnick after the match named 5 worst players against Newcastle and reveals what he told the board about them ,Rashford forms part of them .

 

Manchester United supporters hoping for the 

team to serve up an overdue festive feast of 

football were treated to a serving of the dregs

 of the leftovers.

Instead of innovation under Ralf Rangnick,

 the team looked more disjointed than ever 

with a performance which resembled an Ole 

Gunnar Solskjaer side from November.

If the performance in the 1-1 draw at Newcastle

 taught us anything, it is that the players 

should bear greater responsibility than before

 for their consistently turgid performances.

Looking at United’s woeful display, it is hard 

to narrow down the under performers, so 

we have picked out as many as five players

 who let the team down, and it really could

 have been a higher number. 

Here is a look at the quintet of stars who 

failed to deliver post-festive cheer to expectant

 United fans…

Marcus Rashford

Marcus Rashford’s night was summed up 

by a mis-kicked shot which went out 

embarrassingly for a goal kick in the second

 half.

Rashford’s performance was so bad that some

 fans on social media were comparing him to 

Dan James, with the Welshman lauded as 

a superior option.

It is now nine games in a row without a goal

 for Rashford, and in his last five matches he 

has managed only two shots on target.

Rashford was not helped by playing in a new

 role in which he was ill-suited for in the first

 half, playing behind both Ronaldo and 

Mason Greenwood.

But when he reverted to playing wide left 

in a changed 4-1-3-2 in the second half he 

continued to offer little, apart from one surging

 run, after which he shot when he should

 have passed.

It was a mini-miracle Rashford lasted 

all 90 minutes. His place should be in doubt

 for the next game.

Harry Maguire

Harry Maguire has been ruthlessly mocked

 at times for having the turning circle of 

a small ship, and while this seems like an 

exaggeration, it looked spot on for 

Newcastle’s goal.

Maguire was too slow to reach to Allan 

Saint-Maximin’s turn on the edge of the 

box and was unable to get anywhere close

 to closing him down or blocking his shot.

United expect better defending from the 

captain and this was a night where 

fans wanted to see positive signs a partnership

 may form with returning centre-back 

Raphael Varane.

Maguire failed to win a single tackle,

 make a single interception, or block a single

 shot against Newcastle, making only 

two clearances.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Cristiano Ronaldo has dragged United out 

of the mire on several occasions since 

re-signing, but this was not one of them.

This was one poor Ronaldo display which 

he was not able to gloss over with a late 

winner or a moment of brilliance.

Thankfully Edinson Cavani stepped up, 

and there will be games like this where

 Ronaldo is ineffective, he is 36 after all.

Ronaldo was a little too predictable in 

his movement, with and without the ball, 

and too easily frustrated when passes

 didn’t land at his 

feet. He had just two shots, with neither

 landing on target.

Fred

While Fred was the star of United’s first

 game under Ralf Rangnick three weeks

 ago, he was one of the fall guys from a 

woeful first half against Newcastle.

Fred was substituted off at half-time after 

completing just 78 per cent of his passes

, with United far too generous in possession.

Rangnick explained how Fred’s substition 

was tactical rather than based on his 

individual display, with United wanting 

more attacking width.

But as the saying goes, ‘if you are not 

part of the solution then you are part 

of the problem’, and this applied to 

Fred’s 45 minutes at St James’ Park.

Bruno Fernandes

Bruno Fernandes was outstanding in 

Manchester United’s 4-1 win at Newcastle

 last season. This time he was anonymous

 by comparison.

Whether Fernandes is plainly out of form, 

or struggling to adapt to Ralf Rangnick’s 

system, or both, his place in the team 

is beginning to become a talking point.

Fernandes completed only 73 per cent

 of his passes and created only two 

chances, while failing to even attempt

 one shot at goal.

United are not making the best of 

Fernandes’ talents right now, and the star

 is a conundrum which Rangnick needs to solve.