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In a disappointing 5-0 thrashing to Manchester City on Wednesday night, Steve Bruce’s Newcastle struggled to cause the home side any problems over the course of the 90 minutes.

Unsurprisingly, the Magpies hardly saw any of the ball, registering just 27% possession, and could only manage a measly one shot on target.

Having made some changes to his starting line-up for the clash at the Etihad, Bruce gave some fringe players the opportunity to impress, and none more so than USA international DeAndre Yedlin.

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The right-back has struggled with injury problems this season, making only 19 appearances across all competitions – in fact, since the restart of the Premier League, he had only managed to play 18 minutes of top-flight football before the clash against City.

And on Wednesday night, he failed his huge audition.

As per Sofascore, his overall match rating of 5.7 was the lowest of any player on the pitch, and when you look at the underlying numbers behind his performance, it is clear to see why.

Despite playing the full 90 minutes, Yedlin only attempted 11 total passes, of which only five of them were successful – truly shocking numbers for a Premier League player, even despite the kind of attacking onslaught City put on.

But whilst he was wasteful in possession, and couldn’t offer a threat going forward (he attempted no dribbles or crosses whatsoever), his defensive stats were equally weak.

He contested just three total duels, winning only one of them, whilst he only made one tackle and one interception apiece.

With Bruce having the likes of Javier Manquillo, Emil Krafth and even Valentino Lazaro who can play in that right-back or right wing-back slot, Yedlin needed to have a decent game against City to prove his worth.

Instead, he fluffed his big chance in front of his manager.

Manchester United stumbled against Southampton and will be looking to make amends when they travel to Selhurst Park to face Crystal Palace on Thursday night. 

United were leading the game before Saints substitute Michael Obafemi bundled in a last-minute winner to set back the host’s top four hopes.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has picked the same starting XI for the past five games in a row, and it seems like he has paid the price for this decision, as they slipped up in their pursuit of Champions League football.

Solskjaer has made it clear he will give Luke Shaw every chance to recover from an ankle injury to start the pivotal clash with Crystal Palace, while there are lingering doubts over Brandon Williams, who sustained a cut above his eye in the draw with the Saints.

United failed to capitalise on Leicester’s defeat to Bournemouth after conceding the injury time equaliser, which leaves them fifth in the Premier League table on goal difference as they head into the crunch stage of the competition.

Transfer Tavern have worked on a predicted starting lineup, which sees Solskjaer make three changes to the side that faced Southampton at Old Trafford.

Solskjaer has started every game since the Premier League restart in his favourite 4-2-3-1 formation and it is unlikely he will want to mess around with his preferred system with so much at stake in the remainder of the season.

There is no doubt the Norwegian will be keeping an eye on the FA Cup semi-final with Chelsea at the weekend. Bearing this in mind, it is likely fans will see several changes, as this is surely the perfect opportunity for Solskjaer to give some of his key players a well-deserved rest.

Palace’s safety is assured, and they arguably have nothing left to play for other than pride, but they will relish the opportunity to beat a side who have won seven out of the past ten games.

The Eagles actually stunned the Red Devils back in August at Old Trafford, as Patrick van Aanholt scored in stoppage time to give them their first win against United in the Premier League.

Mason Greenwood, 18, had a quiet game against the Saints for a player of his standards and is reportedly struggling with a swollen ankle. This could give Solskjaer the chance to test Daniel James’ mettle.

The 22-year-old has struggled for consistency this season, scoring just three goals in the Premier League so far, despite being given plenty of opportunities.

However, Palace have lost their last five games in a row, and James could replace Greenwood on the right wing in a rare start in recent weeks.

At the other end of the pitch, Harry Maguire and Aaron Wan-Bissaka line up in front of the club’s first choice keeper David de Gea, as is often the case. Maguire has recently been singled out for criticism by a number of pundits, including Roy Keane and Craig Burley, and he will be eager to prove himself once again.

Meanwhile, Victor Lindelof has tried (and failed) to look convincing next to the club captain, receiving a low WhoScored rating of 6.69 overall in the process.

On the other hand, Eric Bailly is fully match-fit, and his physicality could work in United’s favour against Jordan Ayew and Wilfried Zaha.

While questions still remain over the extent of Shaw’s injury, Williams was spotted turning up to training at Carrington ahead of the game, despite the fact the gash required six stitches. Working on the proviso that Shaw will not be available, Williams may start in his place instead.

Make no mistake, this is a must-win game for Man United, if they are to keep their hopes of reaching the top four alive, and Solskjaer will need his players to be fully fit and ready to go.

United fans, do you think this is how Solskjaer will line up at Selhurst Park? Let us know down below!

Manchester United are set to sell Alexis Sanchez this summer after he agreed personal terms with Inter Milan. 

The Red Devils are ready to sanction a transfer for the Chilean, who has only scored five goals in 45 games for Man United. The 31-year-old has reportedly accepted an offer of a three-year deal from the Nerazzurri, according to reports.

He has spent the past season on loan at Inter Milan after falling out of favour with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and is deemed surplus to requirements at Old Trafford.

According to Gazzeta dello Sport, as per SportWitness, his representatives have reached an agreement with Inter which would see him stay at the Serie A outfit until 2023. Italian transfer guru that Fabrizio Romano revealed Antonio Conte’s side want to sign him on a permanent basis and the newspaper supports his claims.

The transfer window has barely been open and speculation is already rampant on social media as fans are discussing who United will sign this summer. Old Trafford is expected to become a hub of activity in the weeks ahead, with players set to come and go between now and deadline day.

Solskjaer could face his biggest transfer market challenge yet, as it will be difficult to find buyers for the deadwood in the current economic climate, although Inter seem to have made his job a whole lot easier.

Ed Woodward has held talks with the Serie A giants over a swap deal for Sanchez involving Ivan Perisic as part of an exchange deal. The executive vice-chairman will want to rectify his mistake of signing the Chilean in the first place.

Sanchez, who is valued at a figure of around £15m, currently earns a staggering salary worth £400,000-a-week, which Woodward will want to get off the wage bill as soon as possible.

Conte appears to have given his old adversaries a lifeline as he is keen to sign the veteran in the summer.

United fans, should Woodward swap Sanchez for Perisic in the summer? Let us know your opinion in the comments below!

Leeds United are back in the top-flight for the first time in 16 years and they are going to have to bolster the squad this summer if they are to remain there for the foreseeable future. One position that needs added depth is central midfield…

What’s the word?

According to L’Unione Sarda (via Sport Witness), the Yorkshire giants are keeping an eye on Cagliari workhorse Nahitan Nandez, though they may have to activate his €36m (£32.5m) release clause.

It’s claimed that West Ham and Napoli are also interested in the 24-year-old with Gennaro Gattuso reportedly seeing a younger version of himself in the Uruguay international.

Whilst Marcelo Bielsa is said to believe that Nandez would be ‘perfect’ for his Leeds outfit in the Premier League.

Midfield upgrade

The 5 foot 7 powerhouse was a regular in the Serie A last season, recording 35 appearances where he provided two goals and three assists as well as averaging 1.7 tackles, 1 key pass and a 79% passing accuracy, via WhoScored.

Nandez’s agent, Pablo Bentancur, believes he is a “great player” who “fans always like” because he “leaves the last drop of sweat on the pitch,” so he should have no trouble fitting in at Elland Road.

The 24-year-old is also a starter for his national side and started all but one game in the 2018 World Cup. He’s since totalled 31 caps playing alongside the likes of Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani.

It would be an interesting move to make with Mateusz Klich likely to be ahead of him in the pecking order, but with Adam Forshaw’s long-term absence from match action, it could be wise to add a player who’ll be ready to go in the PL.

Forshaw has only played in the top-flight once and that resulted in relegation with Middlesbrough and before his injury, he could only average 1.1 tackles per game.

Victor Orta must sanction this move, especially if Bielsa really does admire the player as much as reports say.

AND in other news, Leeds ought to make Championship STAR their top priority at JUST £15m…

Tottenham Hotspur have already completed three deals this summer and they could soon make it four if latest reports are to be believed…

What’s the word?

According to Italian jounalist Nicolo Schira, Spurs are in negotiations to sign Beijing Guoan centre-back Kim Min-Jae with the Chinese Super League side wanting around €15m (£13.5m).

The South Korean international has been long-mooted with a move to north London with 90min claiming back in July that the club were ‘confident’ in securing his services.

Spurs could well need a new central defender after seeing Jan Vertonghen depart for Benfica on a free transfer at the end of the season.

Levy dream

This deal seems perfect for chairman Daniel Levy and very much echoes the sort of business they have already complete.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and Matt Doherty have both cost exactly £15m as per reports, and the 23-year-old would very much be in the same region.

But also as a superstar over in his native country, the north London outfit could receive even more supporters which would be a major financial win for the club.

Having both Heung-min Son and Min-Jae in the same team would surely be a huge hit over in Asia and would be a much-needed boost to the coffers through shirt sales and other revenue streams.

The 6 foot 3 colossus, capped 30 times internationally, has been nicknamed the “monster” but is just as adept with the ball at his feet.

He’s even been dubbed the South Korean Virgil van Dijk, so Mourinho would certainly be getting a decent player in a position of need.

AND in other news,ÂSpurs make contact with Eredivisie outfit for United target…

It seemed as though Liverpool were going to have a quiet transfer window at the start of the summer as reports of the club not having money to spend and targets going elsewhere led to a sense that the Reds wouldn’t be up to much this summer.

However, the past 48 hours have shown that you should never underestimate the Anfield outfit and Michael Edwards as they secured the signing of Thiago from Barcelona, while reports of Diogo Jota coming in for a fee of £45m began to run rampant.

With the reliable Tim Spiers stating that this deal is done, it seems as though it is a matter of time before we see Jota announced as a Liverpool player, and that has seemingly had a knock-on effect as the club are reportedly no longer interested in Ismaila Sarr.

Sarr was reportedly available for a smaller fee than Jota has cost, but in the end, it seems as though the Reds have opted for the Wolves man over the Senegal international, and there looks to be one huge upside to signing Jota over Sarr.

Liverpool signing a backup winger was always going to be an interesting move, as the current partnership of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah both seem to be undroppable, with the pair both winning Golden Boot awards in 2018/19.

However, despite their indispensability within Jurgen Klopp’s plans, some things are out of his hands, including the African Cup of Nations.

The AFCON has been a thorn in the side of Premier League clubs for years at this point, with its winter schedule leading to a lot of top stars missing crucial parts of the season.

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The current pandemic has led to the competition being moved back to 2022, but it’s still planned to be played in January and February, meaning that players will be absent, and with Sarr, Mane and Salah all likely to be playing at the tournament, Klopp could have been without three of his most important attackers in 16 months’ time.

Jota coming in mitigates that risk as he will be there to hold down the fort while Liverpool’s star men are out of action, and if he stops the Reds from dropping points during that period, he will prove to be worth the extra money they’re paying to get him instead of Sarr.

Of course, a lot of things will have been considered, Liverpool’s analytics team are amongst the best in the country, and it won’t have been as straightforward, but this factor isn’t one that should be ignored.

This article forms part of our Total Duds feature series, which is where Football Transfer Tavern takes a look at how a player has fared since being signed or sold, using statistical figures and statements from pundits to prove how bad a deal the club got.