03 December 2023 , 12:37
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A furious Steve McClaren once again had to order Manchester United's players to go and applaud their fans following yet another pathetic performance against Newcastle.
United's hardy supporters travelled 150 miles up to St James' Park, only for Erik ten Hag's Red Devils to slump to a 1-0 defeat. Once the full-time whistle had blown and United fans began to mull over their team's 10th loss in all competitions this season, a group of players chose not to walk towards the away end and applaud their supporters, who were situated high up in the freezing cold.
Ten Hag's assistant coach, McClaren, stood at the top of the tunnel and instructed those who didn't bother to give their fans a clap to turn around and so. He'd issued that same demand after United's remarkable 3-0 loss at home to Newcastle in November.
Supporters on social media were left stunned by the players' behaviour, with one fuming: "They take the fans for granted." Another fan added: "Absolute disgrace, none of them should be available for the next match," while a third followed-up by raging: "I would rather watch a team that losers and have passion than a team that doesn't give a s*** for the badge. It's time for a revolution."
The Red Devils' social media channels made sure to thank their supporters, posting: "We appreciate the lengths you have gone to in recent days to watch the Reds in challenging conditions." A fan replied: "Glad you do. Shame the players and staff don't."
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One supporter notably gave praise to Harry Maguire, as the England international was seen walking over to applaud the United section without needing to be told by McClaren. "I saw only Harry applaud them at FT," the fan wrote. "Say what you will about his ability and fit for the team long-term, but he's been class all through. Earned my respect."
Maguire appeared to be equally furious after the match, telling MUTV : "The boys are disappointed. I don't think we played to our level. It's been a tough week: three away games in six days - but we don't use that as an excuse. We didn't play well enough, especially in the first half. We grew into the game in the second half and maybe could have got the point.
Harry Maguire applauded the away fans without needing to be told (Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)Get involved! Should Manchester United sack Erik ten Hag? Let us know your verdict in the comments section.
"We put a lot of pressure on them in the last 10 or 15 minutes but it wasn't enough and, in the end, you've got to say Newcastle deserved it. We allowed them to get into our box far too easily, so it's something that we need to work on – all of us as a team."