A HEAD START FOR MAGUIRE
Troubled United captain scores the equaliser before late goals seal it
STEVE Bruce’s advice for Harry Maguire was to play his way out of this troubled period. Be a man and front up, said his old Hull boss.
Well, the Manchester United captain listened — and Bruce’s Newcastle paid the price.
Maguire’s response to a week of scrutiny in which he was sent off for England was to pull his side level with a clever first-half header, cancelling out Newcastle’s secondminute opener.
He then twice came close to scoring a winning goal before Bruno Fernandes fired the visitors in front four minutes from time. Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Marcus Rashford smashed a third and fourth in stoppage time.
Fernandes’ classy finish after a sharp exchange with the outstanding Rashford atoned for his earlier penalty miss, his first in 11 attempts for United.
Had Maguire netted the winner, it would have been entirely deserved for a showing of character and resilience after a torrid few days.
His inclusion was only confirmed a little over an hour before kick-off when the skipper appeared on the touchline for the customary meeting with the match officials.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had given himself an out by claiming that Maguire returned from England with a knock. A knock to his confidence, perhaps.
But his selection was a show of faith. Never mind the turbulence of his international escapades, Maguire could have been axed for his shambolic showing in the 6-1 defeat by Spurs a fortnight ago.
Solskjaer’s response to that humiliation was to make five changes. Even if he had made only one, logic told you it would be Donny Van de Beek who came in.
Not so — and the £35million summer signing remained among the substitutes, much to the indignation of fans.
Either Solskjaer enjoys his company in the dugout or he does not yet trust the Dutch midfielder because every time he has emerged from the bench this season he has looked bright and busy, at least he has to everyone but his manager.
The Norwegian also dropped Paul Pogba only 24 hours after the club triggered a one-year extension on his contract.
That deal, however, was plainly a move by the hierarchy to protect his value and prevent him leaving on a free transfer next summer. On the pitch, Pogba is doing little to warrant contractual reward.
And so it was that Solskjaer paired Fred and Scott McTominay in the centre of his midfield — the duo who were bossed by the rookie Longstaff brothers in this fixture last season, a 1-0 loss.
This team-sheet smacked of the boss picking the players he believes he can trust.
And that said little for those he left out when, after just 102 seconds, United fell behind.
Mercifully for Maguire, he was not among those to whom you could attach blame. But that list did include the usual suspects — Victor Lindelof, Luke Shaw and David de Gea.
Lindelof was turned by Callum Wilson with alarming ease and Newcastle worked the ball wide to Emil Krafth, the Sweden right back who has scored one goal in five years.
Krafth delivered low and duly took the congratulations of his team-mates when the ball wound up in the back of the net.
However, his tally for the past half decade remains at one, for this goal belonged to Shaw, whose unconvincing attempt to block the cross caused the ball to bounce off his outstretched boot and sail between De Gea and his near post.
The goalkeeper did his best impression of wrong-footed, but it looked more a case of flat-footed on replay. The concession could have marked the onset of another United collapse, but Newcastle are not Tottenham. Instead, t he hosts retreated.
Marcus Rashford took it upon himself to drag his side back into the contest and twice saw goalbound blasts blocked inside the six-yard area. Bruno Fernandes did find the top corner on 19 minutes but a subsequent VAR review revealed Juan Mata was offside in the build-up. It was the correct call. It was also a let-off for Bruce’s side but their reprieve would last only four minutes before Maguire thundered in what was a deserved equaliser.
United should have led at the break but Jamaal Lascelles again denied the brilliant Rashford, the home skipper clearing from the line on 37 minutes.
And it was the turn of goalkeeper Karl Darlow to thwart the England forward on the stroke of half time when smuggling a low fizzer around the upright.
While that was a fine stop it did not compare to the goal-line claw from De Gea early in the second half. Allan Saint-Maximin dug out a cross from the left and Wilson extended a toe to turn on target from barely three yards out. De Gea somehow scooped clear.
Not to be outdone, Darlow then produced his flying stop from Fernandes’ penalty on 58 minutes after Jamal Lewis had connected with Rashford inside the area — a spotkick only awarded after a VAR review.
From the resulting corner Maguire headed for the bottom corner again, only for Shelvey to hack clear.
He then took aim for the same spot with a low drive from distance and was unlucky when it licked the base of the post.
But Fernandes made no mistake after a devastating offensive and both Wan-Bissaka and Rashford produced equally uncompromising finishes to cap a much- needed victory for Manchester United as they finally found the clinical edge they were searching for.
NEWCASTLE ( 4- 4-1-1): Darlow 8; Krafth 7, Lascelles 7, Fernandez 5, Lewis 7; Hendrick 6 (Almiron 88min), Shelvey 6 Hayden 7 (Schar 49, 6), Saint Maximin 7; Joelinton 3 (Fraser 72, 6); Wilson 6. Booked: Krafth. Subs (not used): Gillespie, Carroll, Manquillo, Murphy. MAN UNITED (4-2-3-1): De Gea 7; Wan-Bissaka 6, Lindelof 5, Maguire 8, Shaw 5; McTominay 7, Fred 5 (Pogba 70, 6); Mata 7 (Matic 90), Fernandes 6, James 5 (Van der Beek 76); Rashford 7. Booked: James. Subs (not used): Henderson, Bailly, Ighalo, Telles, Matic. Referee: C Pawson (South Yorkshire) 6.