Newcastle United 0 Manchester United 4 match report: Juan Mata and David Moyes rev up for Bayern Munich

Manchester United and under-fire manager buoyed ahead of Euro clash as midfielder leads 4-0 rout of Newcastle

(GETTY IMAGES)

“Moyesie, Moyesie give us a wave.” So he did. In the 70th minute yesterday, David Moyes, with a beaming smile, looked up to those jubilant supporters of Manchester United in Level Seven of the Leazes End at St James’ Park and waved his right arm as if he had just spotted his best friend.

The score at that point was 3-0 to United. Juan Mata, one of the two signings Moyes has made since becoming manager at Old Trafford, had scored two of them. Eight days after an aeroplane flew over Manchester declaring Moyes was the wrong one, he was again jubilant.

It is becoming a theme. In the aftermath of a humbling home defeat to rivals Manchester City, there has a been a reaction. United have scored eight goals in the two Premier League games since, and head to the Allianz Arena in Munich still in their Champions League tie. As United cruised past hapless Newcastle yesterday, Bayern’s 53-game unbeaten run was ending, losing against FC Augsburg. Wayne Rooney, who missed the stroll at Newcastle with a toe injury, is expected to be fit for the quarter-final second leg.

There was much for Moyes to delight in yesterday, not least the ease with which victory was accomplished. “I’m delighted,” he said. “It was a very good performance and there were some great individual goals. I thought we played very well. Juan Mata has played really well and I think he’s made us better. He hadn’t got the goals in the early games but recently he’s started to get the goals and more importantly the assists. In the last few years he has been one of the best assist makers in the League. Yes, it was very good preparation for the Bayern game.”

There is also the fact that United are the best side away from home in the Premier League. This was their 10th victory beyond the stifling demands of Old Trafford. Not being asked to dictate the game has been of benefit this season.

“Maybe there is a big expectation at Old Trafford to be gung-ho and play in a real attacking style,” Moyes added. “We have lost a few games by narrow margins. We lost one-nil to Newcastle and one-nil to Everton. We have lost a few games like that. Maybe away from home there is not as much expectation to be like that.

“We have attacking players who can score goals. I’ve had a lot of good performances this season and a lot of them have been away from home. Unfortunately we have not been able to get that as much in the home games. There is a good spirit amongst the lads. There’s a great squad.”

There certainly feels more unity. Whether that will have any effect on Europe’s most powerful side on Wednesday remains to be seen. But United were far too good for a Newcastle side who cannot wait for the campaign to finish.

They did not score the first of their four goals until six minutes before half-time. Manager Alan Pardew claimed later that Newcastle felt there should have been an offside given and that Dan Gosling did not foul Darren Fletcher, but it lookednailed on. From the ensuing free-kick 20 yards out, Mata curled a delightful ball into the top corner of Rob Elliot’s goal. From that moment it was a case of how many United might get. Quite how brittle Newcastle are is staggering.

Mata added a second five minutes into the second half with a clever finish, manoeuvring a Javier Hernandez pass on to his right foot and shooting into the bottom corner. Hernandez struck the third from a Shinji Kagawa pass and in injury time there was a fourth when Adnan Januzaj linked up with Mata to crown off a display of complete control.

“It’s obviously a disappointing result for us today,” said Pardew. “We have lost two games heavily at home now and at Southampton, and we need to get back on track and push on. The last few results, particularly the last three, have been tough games for us – we have not had any breaks in the games. It is tough. I understand the fans’ frustration.”

Without the injured loan forward Loïc Rémy, Newcastle have played 10 games this season, scoring one goal and conceding 29.

The contrast with Moyes, still waving to those supporters at the game’s conclusion, was telling.

Line-ups:

Newcastle United (4-1-3-2): Elliot; Santon, Williamson, Coloccini, Haidara; Tiote; Anita, Gosling, Gouffran (Ameobi, 85); De Jong (Ben Arfa, 60), Cisse.

Manchester United (4-4-2): Lindegaard; Valencia, Smalling, Jones, Evra (Buttner, 64); Young (Januzaj, 18), Fletcher, Fellaini (Nani, 70), Kagawa; Mata; Hernandez.

Referee: Kevin Friend.

Man of the match: Mata (Manchester United)

Match rating: 5/10