Legendary Premier League striker Alan Shearer predicts how the contest between Newcastle and Manchester United will play out on Sunday.
The last time the two rivals shared a football pitch, the Red Devils had hit rock bottom, as the Magpies registered a comfortable 2-0 win at Old Trafford in their final 2024 fixture. That contest saw Joshua Zirkzee being cheered off after being substituted in the middle of the first half.
The Dutchman has come a long way since then, now cementing himself as a favourite at Old Trafford. Moreover, some might argue that Man Utd as a whole are beginning to make baby steps in their path towards recovery under the guidance of Ruben Amorim.
Nevertheless, Shearer insists the Red Devils are still ‘miles off’ in their attempts to restore their status as one of the biggest teams in the world.
Alan Shearer expects Man United to rely on counterattacks against Newcastle
The 54-year-old believes his former club, Newcastle, should have the upper hand this weekend, but reckons that United can be dangerous when adopting a low stance and try to harry their opponents on counter-attacks.
“This will be a tough one, because Man Utd will sit back and that’s one of the things they are half-decent at,” argued Shearer in his weekly prediction column on Metro.
“There’s not a lot else, but they can sit and defend to perhaps try and hit you on the break. That’s what they’ll do, to try and frustrate Newcastle but they’ll still have too much.
“Man Utd are still one of the biggest football clubs in the world, but they certainly aren’t one of the best teams in the world, they’re miles off it.”
United currently sit 13th in the Premier League, so they have little to play for on paper. Amorim’s men will host Lyon four days later in the decisive second leg of the Europa League quarter-final, so they may have one eye on their European contest already.
