Manchester United is still the most successful team in Premier League history. However, they have not been themselves for more than a decade. The 0-2 loss to Newcastle in the last 19 Premier League rounds highlighted their collapse.
Man United's current central midfielders, Casemiro and Christian Eriksen, will both turn 33 in February next year. But they may have felt much older when chasing the shadow of Joelinton (28 years old) and Bruno Guimaraes (27 years old) for Newcastle.
The Red Devils' manager Ruben Amorim will certainly want to own players with such strength and fitness in his underdog squad. The Old Trafford team was completely overwhelmed by the Magpies in the first half when Alexander Isak and Joelinton scored important goals.
However, it is not only the older players in the Man United squad who are in trouble. Just four years ago, Joshua Zirkzee was 19 years old and won a treble against Bayern Munich. However, the Dutch striker struggled to control the ball against Newcastle.
"It's easy to evaluate a team before and after a game to see how effective they are. I know Joshua Zirkzee hasn't been at his best yet, but I want him to play more potently.
We know we are weak in fighting set pieces but Man United are currently facing too many problems and cannot focus on solving each problem" - Amorim said after the loss to Newcastle.
Zirkzee was substituted after just 33 minutes to a roar from Man United fans as he left the pitch. Amorim brought on a 19-year-old - Kobbie Mainoo - and Man United immediately looked better. The Englishman helped strengthen the midfield and at least gave the home team a fighting chance.
However, this is still Newcastle's night when they won for the fifth consecutive year - something that the suffering M.U fans could hardly dream of.
The Reds of Manchester lifted their 20th Premier League title in 2013, but they have yet to win any more trophies since then. Amorim has a huge task in hand to help the "Red Devils" become competitive, let alone win the championship.
"I will continue with my ideals, if they want me to change, it is best for them to change the coach. That is my choice for football and I will continue to do it my way until the end" - the Portuguese strategist added.
