Manchester United legend Roy Keane said he ‘couldn’t imagine’ the side’s defending against Newcastle and picked out Diogo Dalot and Altay Bayindir for criticism after the dismal 4-1 defeat.
Alejandro Garnacho cancelled out Sandro Tonali’s opener to present United the momentum heading into the second period, but a flurry of Newcastle goals in a one-sided second half secured the hosts a deserved victory.
Harvey Barnes was the pick of Newcastle’s attackers, capitalising on some lackadaisical United defending to finish a 15-minute brace and take the roof off St James’ Park.
United goalkeeper Bayindir, making his full Premier League debut rather than Andre Onana, gifted the Magpies their fourth with a woeful pass out from the back within the 77th minute.
The result leaves United stranded down in 14th and confirms the club will finish with their lowest ever Premier League points tally, even in the event that they win each game from now until the top of the season.
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Former United captain Keane blasted Ruben Amorim’s side as ‘physically and mentally weak’ within the immediate aftermath, before taking aim at Dalot for his part in Newcastle’s second goal.
‘You’ve got an experienced right-back and he just runs by him,’ Keane said on Sky Sports after Tino Lavramento glided past Dalot with ease before crossing for Barnes.
‘He doesn’t even grab him, he doesn’t attempt to tackle him, he just gives up on it.
‘If anything, he helps him! He shows him goal-side. Take a look at this! I can’t imagine it! I can’t imagine that defending.
‘We praise Dalot for going forward but a part of being a defender is, obviously, being hard to beat.’
Amorim opted to take Onana out of the firing line after his horror-show display against Lyon within the week, with Bayindir as an alternative given the nod against Newcastle.
But Bayindir looked shaky throughout and the Turkey goalkeeper may have desired to the bottom to swallow him whole after his howler directly led to Guimaraes’ 77th-minute strike.
‘You return to the choice making. It’s too dangerous, it’s absolutely too dangerous,’ Keane said of Bayindir’s mistake.
‘There are players around you! At the best level, the actual top players, it’s about your decision making.
‘I’m quick to defend goalkeepers after they first come into the team since it does take five, six, seven games to get up to the mark with the shots, whatever.
‘But that basic mistake there may be just… truthfully, I can’t understand it because that is top level, that is big-boy stuff.’
Keane added: ‘For those who’re going to go long otherwise you’re going to chip it, be sure that you go too far so then a minimum of it’s up the pitch.
‘For those who lose it there, you already know what’s going to occur. For those who lose it there, someone’s in on goal, on top of you.
‘That’s just common sense.’
Chatting with Sky Sports shortly after the ultimate whistle, a defiant Amorim claimed he ‘didn’t care’ in regards to the criticism he and his players would face within the wake of their latest lacklustre showing.
‘I understand but I don’t care. Nothing is worse than losing games,’ the United head coach said.
‘People can say whatever they wish to say. I don’t wish to defend myself or anything like that.
‘For those who take a look at our position within the table, it says all of it. Thursday is basically necessary. Losing games is the toughest part by far of this job. Let’s concentrate on Thursday [against Lyon].
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