Osula howitzer for Newcastle stuns feeble Man Utd as Carrick hopes fading fast | OneFootball

William Osula’s stunning winner was remarkable for a whole host of reasons, not least because it was fully deserved for ten-man Newcastle against Manchester United. Michael Carrick’s hopes are fading fast.

There’s nothing quite like a goalkeeper doing that little stutter with their feet as they look over their shoulder and watch the ball nestle in the side-netting in disbelief at a goal which – despite Ally McCoist’s protestations to the contrary – they were entirely powerless to prevent.

Who it was, when it was, against whom it was, the imbalance of the teams and it coming so soon after Joshua Zirkzee was denied his own howitzer by an outstanding Aaron Ramsdale save all contributes to make Will Osula’s goal a brilliant and truly extraordinary moment in this Premier League season, even before you consider the unbelievable skill involved.

He won the ball himself to start the move, raced onto a pass from Kieran Trippier and then coasted inside from the touchline, diddled Tyrell Malacia – a man presumably now dreaming wistfully of his days, weeks and months in the United bomb squad – with a couple of of stepovers and then used Harry Maguire as a shield for a shot which defied footballing logic, such was the combination of absurd curl and power.

With knee slides complete, touchline cuddles concluded and gaping mouths closed, on the back of Ramsdale’s full length fingertip save to push Zirkzee’s shot round the post little more than a minute beforehand, we were all left with the feeling that this was a victory which was meant to be and wholeheartedly deserved by a Newcastle team almost as superior with ten men as they were with their full compliment.

While we’re reticent to push for further VAR intervention for fear of what yer da might do to us if we’re ousted as one of the woke technology-pushing millennials who have ruined football for them, we hope their inevitable and loudly-voiced hankering for consistency will grant space for a discussion over the benefits of all decisions which can leave a football team with ten men becoming the subject of review, not just red card calls.

Referee Peter Bankes, who had already cautioned Jacob Ramsey for an early foul on Casemiro, produced a second yellow card approaching half-time, ruling that Ramsey had dived inside the penalty area. He has to be absolutely certain he dived, particularly when it’s a second yellow, and he just didn’t.

It’s not a penalty but there is contact and maybe because he’s expecting more contact or because he’s been knocked off balance as he runs at pace to get to the ball first, he’s stumbled. There was no appeal, he’s not looking to con the referee, Ramsey quite simply falls to the ground. Who’s to say he’s not just frustrated at failing to make more of the opportunity? That’s almost certainly not the case but almost being certain isn’t enough.

A VAR review could have told him that and prevented a decision which could so easily have ruined this game if it wasn’t for a horribly lethargic and uninspired display from Manchester United, as illustrated by their xG of 1.28 to Newcastle’s 2.22 despite being a man up for it before half-time.

Carrick bristled after the game when asked about the mentality of his team, insisting this “wasn’t about character” and that “we’ve lost one game, alright?” That spikiness is less concerning than him claiming that “general things” were wrong with the performance. Here’s hoping he’s slightly more specific in his squad debrief.

A perfect round of fixtures for Chelsea has seen them batter Aston Villa thanks to Joao Pedro, Alejandro Garnacho and what is now an awfully weak Villa midfield, Liverpool fall to a thoroughly embarrassing defeat to rock-bottom Wolves and Man Utd lose to ten-man Newcastle.

Given the huge advantage Carrick’s side have over their rivals thanks to their lack of European football, anything short of Champions League qualification would now be a disaster. And after signs of the fading influence of a new manager bounce in the draw with West Ham and the wins over Everton and Crystal Palace, Carrick’s mettle will be really tested ahead of their crunch clash with Villa next up as this was a Ruben Amorim-level of flat.

He may never even have had a chance of landing the permanent job, but performances like the one they produced at St James’ Park on Wednesday night will strengthen the claims of those believing the recent uptick to be little more than a vibes-based improvement and that when it comes down to the tactical nitty-gritty, Carrick doesn’t have the permanent job in him.