Some stats are bigger than others – Looking at Manchester United v Newcastle United | OneFootball

It is Manchester United v Newcastle United this Monday night.

All eyes on Old Trafford.

An intensive build up in the media to this Premier League match.

Plus of course amongst the fans of the two clubs.

Manchester United fans and Newcastle United fans with plenty to ponder and say, ahead of kick-off.

One thing that always plays a big part in build ups to these significant matches, is the stats.

The thing for me is, some stats are bigger than others.

Indeed, some stats are in reality, totally irrelevant.

It always makes me laugh for example, when ahead of any Newcastle United match, you get stats covering the last couple of decades.

Those NUFC stats covering the last 20 or so years, include 15 seasons when United kicked off under Mike Ashley ownership.

What on earth have those 15 seasons got in terms of relevance to these past three seasons that have kicked off under the current owners?

Ashley was only interesting in benefiting himself and his retail empire at the expense of the football club. It is the exact opposite of almost every other Premier League club, where the club owners look to use the rest of their business empire/wealth to benefit the football club that they also own.

The 15 years of Newcastle United stats, on and off the pitch, under Mike Ashley are meaningless.

So you get stuff like ‘Newcastle United have only won ?? matches against ???????? since 2007’ or whatever.

These stats have no value whatsoever.

It is like comparing the top speed your car is capable of, from when it was sitting on your drive totally knackered, to getting a new engine put in and able to hit the road again.

Which brings me to Manchester United v Newcastle United.

Yes, of course we have a terrible record at Old Trafford down the decades, only one win since February 1972, but what relevance does it really have to this match on Monday night? None of our current NUFC players were around back in the 1970s, indeed, most of their parents wouldn’t have been born back in 1972! In many/most cases I am guessing their grandparents were still at school back when United won 2-0 at Old Trafford, seven days after managing to lose to Hereford in the FA Cup.

So when it comes to Manchester United v Newcastle United tonight, what are the most relevant stats?

Well a bit like a racehorse, when looking at the form, you wouldn’t be looking back 50 days, never mind 50 years.

The last four Newcastle matches have seen four wins and fourteen goals scored, only one conceded. Whilst when it comes to purely scoring goals, Eddie Howe’s side in the past six games have scored 3, 2, 4, 3, 4, 3.

The last six Man U domestic matches have seen five defeats and only that late fluky victory over a poor Man City, saving them from an even more woeful record.

Leaving aside that derby win, the last five Man U domestic matches have seen them  concede 13 in five, a run of 2, 3, 3, 3, 2 conceded in each of the five matches. The last two home games have seen Man U concede three each to both Forest and Bournemouth, whilst Wolves defeated them 2-0 in their very last game at Molineux.

Of course, no race is won until it is run, same as a football match, so Newcastle United still have to go out at Old Trafford and run their race, continue that recent excellent form and take advantage of a Manchester United who are in disarray, on and off the pitch.

Other very relevant ‘stats’ are that Ruben Amorim is quite clearly trying to lay down strong markers very early on, even if it makes life even tougher on the pitch in the short-term. The new Man U manager has been refusing to start Rashford and Garnacho in recent games, quite clearly pointing to their attitudes and not ability, as the reason for not playing them. My reading of it is that Amorim wants to sell both of them ASAP, to try and improve the clear rot that has been inside Man U for years, as well as generate essential cash to bring in his own players.

Another couple of stats is that the Man U boss will be without two of his least worst performers against Newcastle United, as Bruno the rat and Ugarte are suspended. Two of the Man U players who are at least mobile and can be bothered to run around a bit.

If we are looking at past results, then it is very relevant that Eddie Howe has won three of the last four against Man U, the exception was at the end of last season when Newcastle United were expected to make it four out of four. A match at Old Trafford that somehow Newcastle found a way to lose, poor defending/goalkeeping, wasting loads of chances, shocking officials (that Gordon non-penalty when his sock was shredded in a clear foul!) and so on.

That match/result actually quite handy for Eddie Howe, to point to and tell his players, exactly why on Monday night there can be ZERO complacency.

That even against a poor opposition who are totally demoralised, we still need a fully firing Newcastle United to be at them from the start, not giving Man U a second’s rest.

Only that will guarantee the most important stat of all, a win for Newcastle United at Old Trafford.

Which would also give a stat of four Newcastle United victories in the last five meetings of the two clubs.

Which would also mean a guaranteed stat of Newcastle United fifth in the Premier League as we move into 2025.