The most disappointing thing about Manchester United's defeat to Newcastle yesterday was that this result had been coming for weeks.
Erik ten Hag's side deserves credit for managing to grind out gritty results this season, but the flip side of that is that they have also been getting away with some questionable performances too.
For well over a month now, there have been matches in which United have played just as badly as they did at St. James' Park, though they largely went unpunished thanks to a combination of wasteful finishing, moments of magic, and chaotic spells in which games turned on their head.
