Manchester United should be competing in the top four of the Premier League according to Newcastle United manager Rafa Benitez.
The Red Devils and Newcastle go head-to-head on Wednesday at St James’ Park with both sides needing the points for contrasting reasons.
Are United as good as the likes of Manchester City and Liverpool? Five things you need to know…
- Man Utd currently sit in sixth place in the Premier League after their worst start to a PL campaign.
- The Red Devils are 19 points behind league leaders Liverpool and 12 points behind third-placed City.
- Former club boss Jose Mourinho was sacked following United’s terrible start to the Premier League campaign.
- Former United striker Ole Gunnar Solskjær has taken over as caretaker manager until the end of the season.
- Since Solskjær’s arrival, United have won all three matches and scored 12 goals.
Speaking ahead of their clash, Benitez insisted the talent United have at their disposal should really belong cemented in the Premier League’s top-four and that they are more than a match for the likes of both Manchester City and Liverpool.
“It’s a team that has to be easily in the top four, that is very clear,” said the Newcastle boss via Sky Sports.
“They can compete against Manchester City, Liverpool, anyone. We are talking about one of the biggest clubs in the world in terms of everything.
“The players they have, they are so good that if you want to win or get points against them you have to perform really well.”
Two Uniteds, contrasting expectations
Both Manchester United and Newcastle United had certain expectations before the season begun, with Man Utd aiming on a title challenge and Newcastle once again content with keeping their place in the Premier League.
United have loudly underperformed this season, with the departure of Jose Mourinho seen as a real attempt to get the club back to where they aim to be competing.
For Newcastle, Benitez has quietly gone about his job and secured some vital wins for the Geordies that has them sat in 15th place in the Premier League table, three points off the relegation zone.
There is a long way to go for both sides with this evening’s fixture presenting itself as a potential season-defining moment for both teams.
A win for Man Utd and they can continue putting pressure on the sides above them. Three points for Newcastle would open up a larger gap between themselves and the bottom three, giving themselves a confidence booster at the start of a new calendar year.
The post Man Utd have talent to compete with Liverpool & Man City, says Rafa Benitez appeared first on Squawka News.
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