Erik TEN HAG keeps telling everyone that Manchester United has a bright future.
The only thing that is still a problem is the present.
Rasmus Hojlund struck a late winner for Manchester United
The striker had only just come off the bench when he found the bottom corner
But Kobbie Mainoo (19) and Amad Diallo (21), who scored, gave the Red Devils a chance to play in Europe next season. There are at least some signs of hope.
Who knows? If Rasmus Hojlund, 21, who came on to score their third goal, can consistently find his shooting shoes and Alejandro Garnacho, 19, keeps improving, the dark clouds might be gone by next season.
There is no doubt that Ten Hag thinks they are a core group that can move United forward if they can all find the right gear.
Last night, Mainoo scored the first goal after Diallo set him up in the 31st minute.
Then, four minutes after the break, Anthony Gordon scored to tie the game, and Diallo scored to put his team back ahead.
He has never hit a better volley in his life.
Ten Hag was proud to see this pair play. Maybe they could even lead them to an odd FA Cup final win over Manchester City, who are going to win the title and are neighbors.
The Dutchman might still be there to see how they grow after that, but that is not certain.
Ten Hag only made one change to his starting eleven from the game against Arsenal.
In order to “confuse” the other team, he chose to play with no scorer at all.
Everyone else has had no idea what Ten Hag has been trying to do with his team for most of the season, so this was not really anything new.
The boss tried to paint it as a chance to give Hojlund a break, but the 21-year-old Dane must have felt very badly about it.
Since coming back from illness, he has had a hard time, scoring only one goal in ten chances. However, the service has not been bad.
Even though he scored eight goals in ten games from Christmas Day to the middle of February, it looks like his teammates do not trust him to do anything with the ball.
Were the magpies’ wings cut off by this plan?
They were behind by one goal at halftime.
Sofyan Amrabat, who was playing his last game on loan at Old Trafford, found Diallo and let him roll the ball into Mainoo in the middle of the area without being stopped.
The young United midfielder could not believe how much time and room he had around the penalty area. He had the ball, could turn, and chose where to stand.
But what was Kieran Trippier, Newcastle’s captain who was coming back, doing?
He hung behind the Toon’s back four to play Mainoo onside and give him that room. It was the second time this season that he had dropped a pass.
Even VAR did not need to look again, and they always do that to find something wrong.
After the game, Newcastle did make a very good penalty claim, but they did not see it. Replays do show Amrabat’s foot going down Anthony Gordon’s Achilles.
But there was no pen.
Newcastle did not give up, and they thought they had equalized in the 36th minute when the tall Dan Burn rose high to meet Jacob Murphy’s cross.
He did everything right and beat Andre Onana in goal, but Casemiro saw what was going on and came back to clear the line.
Then Eddie Howe’s team had another chance right away. A deep corner kick from Trippier found Bruno Guimaraes on the far side of the box, but his header back was too high.
Amad Diallo celebrates his sweet strike
The Ivorian flashed a brilliant hit into the back of the net
Kobbie Mainoo was played onside by Kieran Trippier before finishing
Newcastle did not have to wait long after the break to get the goal they craved.
Manchester United goalkeeper Onana was bought for his distribution skills but for the second game running his long punt resulted in a quick return and goal.
Amrabat was at fault for not being able to control a loose ball and when Alexander Isak played it wide to Murphy his low cross was perfection for Gordon to steer home with the outside of his right boot.
If Amrabat was at fault for that he quickly redeemed himself to stop the visitors from taking the lead.
It began with a Red Devils corner which saw Fernandes have a near post shot saved.
When the ball sprung free Gordon would gather it and race forward.
It was two-on-one.
Anthony Gordon did well to turn the ball beyond Andre Onana
Sofyan Amrabat was not penalised for this challenge on Gordon in the area
Gordon did the right thing squaring to Isak but Ambrabat had raced back to slide in and deflect the Newcastle striker’s shot over the bar.
A big moment that seemed even bigger when five minutes later the Red Devils took the lead.
Fernandes near post corner was only headed clear as far as Diallo 16 yards out and he absolutely middled his shot on the volley past Martin Dubravka.
Hojlund would make things safe when on 84 minutes.
He used his strength as he received a ball from Fernandes to force his way wide of two Newcastle players and shoot back across the goalkeeper.
At least the final game here has given everyone of a red persuasion a bit of belief that an FA Cup may yet sit on the mantelpiece at Old Trafford come the end of the season.
Miguel Almiron came within a whisker of scoring
Casemiro tried an audacious overhead kick