Gary Neville could only praise “blistering” Newcastle United after their superb display at Old Trafford.
The Manchester United legend had been part of many teams in red that had inflicted so much pain on Newcastle over the years with 19 Premier League victories alone suffered for the Magpies across four decades. But the black and whites started how they meant to go on in front of the Stretford End.
Newcastle showed no fear and almost bullied in front of their own fans at the Theatre of Dreams. There was almost an expectancy about the way Alexander Isak sent a bullet header past Andre Onana and the second goal had an air of inevitability around it as Joelinton powered home.
If we can be choosy, it was only that Newcastle didn’t win by more after Sandro Tonali hit a post and that the door was left ajar for Man United to get back into it. Nevertheless, Neville was full of praise despite the fact the team he loved had been outplayed.
Neville said afterwards: “It’s a great night for Newcastle. The win is fully deserved.
“The first half an hour they were in blistering form. They have had some pain at Old Trafford in the past but those fans will travel back up north tonight really happy.
“They won the game in the first half hour and controlled it for the next 60 minutes.”
Bryan Robson’s face said it all in the stands as Man United look like a team in a mess
If the victory was seventh heaven stuff for Newcastle fans, it was sheer agony for the Man United faithful.
Despite the Stretford End staying behind their team during a moment of need, it was too much for some fans in the main stand with some vicious and bitter verbal volleys directed at the joyful and triumphant Newcastle end!
The truth is this correspondent has rarely seen or heard the Man United fans so rattled by a Newcastle team at Old Trafford. Because the Premier League counts the most and while last season’s Carabao Cup victory was swept aside by some Red Devils last term, this one couldn’t be so easily dismissed.
This was near enough the best side on offer from Man United and they fell way short in the first half an hour of the game that could have seen Newcastle three or four up. Before the game, Man United had replayed old victories over Newcastle on the big screens around Old Trafford with footage of the likes of Eric Cantona flickering around the famous old stadium.
But the modern day Mancs were no match for Eddie Howe’s vibrant Newcastle side. As the camera flicked on to club icon Bryan Robson his furious expression summed it all up while Neville said: “You look at the Manchester United fans’ faces and they are almost just staring into space. It’s as if they are thinking ‘What are we watching here?'”
Robson’s face itself was the ultimate measurement of what this win meant for the Magpies. Because quite simply, for any Man United fan, pundit or legend, this was too much to take, so much in fact that many home fans walked out of Old Trafford long before the end.
Alexander Isak does not look like a player who wants this party to end
Isak scored the opener and could have easily had a first half hat-trick at Old Trafford. In fact he terrified the Man United defence and the home fans could only hope to have a complete centre-forward like him to get them out of the mess they’re in.
Much has been made about links with Arsenal while a £150million price tag has been supposedly placed on Isak’s shoulders in recent days. But as he danced into the night in front of the fans at Man United’s iconic but ageing stadium, he looked like a man having the time of his life.
If Newcastle qualify for the Champions League, why would he want to go anywhere else?
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