Manchester United came to Tyneside needing a response. What they got instead was a reminder that their problems run deeper than just Andre Onana.
On Sunday, it was Altay Bayindir’s turn between the sticks. But the Turkish goalkeeper’s long-awaited Premier League debut ended in disaster, capped by a calamitous error that gifted Newcastle their fourth in a crushing 4-1 defeat. The result left United reeling ahead of Thursday’s Europa League decider against Lyon.
“It was a chance to show what he can do,” said one club source after the match. “But you have to say, it only made things look worse.”
Bayindir wasn’t alone in his struggles. The entire United backline fell apart in the second half as Harvey Barnes ran riot and Bruno Guimarães iced the cake. Garnacho’s first-half strike had briefly given United hope after Sandro Tonali’s opener, but it was wiped away in a flood of second-half errors.
A Shaky Start
Manager Ruben Amorim, who left Onana out of the squad altogether, made five changes. The gamble backfired almost immediately.
Bayindir looked jittery from the start. He was beaten within two minutes by Joelinton, though a raised offside flag spared him early blushes. But the warning signs were clear.
Newcastle’s breakthrough came in the 24th minute. Alexander Isak danced past defenders with a clever flick, finding Tonali in space. The Italian midfielder volleyed cleanly past Bayindir. 1-0.
United struck back soon after. A flowing move started by Manuel Ugarte set Dalot free down the right. His ball found Garnacho, who controlled brilliantly before curling in off the post. The Argentine stood defiantly in front of the Gallowgate End — but the swagger didn’t last long.
Collapse After the Break
Newcastle’s second came just four minutes into the second half. Barnes, given too much space again, finished a sweeping move that cut through United’s defence like a knife. Minutes later, Joshua Zirkzee limped off, deepening United’s woes.
Then, disaster struck again.
Noussair Mazraoui lost his footing under pressure from Barnes, who didn’t wait for a second invitation. The Newcastle winger darted forward and calmly slotted home his second of the night. 3-1.
And then came the moment that summed up United’s afternoon. Bayindir tried to play out from the back but passed straight to Joelinton. The Brazilian nodded to Guimarães, who fired past the helpless keeper. 4-1. Game over.
“Individual mistakes are costing us dearly,” admitted Amorim post-match. “It’s something we must fix. Fast.”
Player Ratings – Manchester United
Altay Bayindir (3/10)
Nervy from the start. Made one decent save from Isak but undid everything with a horrendous error late on.
Noussair Mazraoui (4/10)
Was solid early but a costly slip gifted Barnes a goal. Not his finest outing.
Victor Lindelöf (5/10)
Held his own in the first half, but was overrun as Newcastle turned on the pace.
Leny Yoro (5/10)
Looked sharp in Lyon midweek but found life much tougher here. A tough lesson in Premier League intensity.
The Bigger Picture
United’s problems are systemic. Whether it’s Onana or Bayindir in goal, the frailties remain. Their defensive shape collapses under pressure, and there’s little resilience once things go wrong.
With Lyon up next and a place in the Europa League semi-final on the line, Amorim has a short window to lift his side’s spirits and sort out the backline.
Otherwise, this season’s promise risks slipping into another cycle of excuses.
