Manchester United were disappointing in their 1-0 loss to Newcastle at St James’ Park.

The first half had some decent Manchester United football, but it quickly dwindled and, in the end, the performance from many of the team’s players was ludicrous.

Newcastle seized the lead in the second half through Anthony Gordon, and there was little United attacking news to tell after that.

It was a difficult game to watch and a performance that will have disturbed many, raising the issue of what Erik ten Hag can accomplish now that he has returned to step on.

Here are five things we discovered…

Andre Onana replies effectively

Prior to this game, practically all of the talk revolved around Andre Onana’s disastrous errors against Galatasaray.

But he was really steady during the game and showed no signs of Wednesday’s damage.

Onana’s outstanding saves and dominant claims have undoubtedly boosted his confidence ahead of his match against Chelsea in midweek.

Harry Maguire is outstanding for United

Harry Maguire has been a player United can rely on recently, and he was brilliant once again at St James’ Park, likely the reason United didn’t trail at the half.

Maguire made numerous key blocks and offered a level head to the defense, which was ultimately transferred to Luke Shaw.

When a team as good as Newcastle is continuously on the front foot, a goal will ultimately be conceded, and that’s exactly what happened.

Marcus Rashford requires some rest

Marcus Rashford returned to the starting lineup after being rested in midweek, but he was dreadful and produced little beyond one nice cross.

Jermaine Jenas called his performance at halftime “criminal,” and the winger was subsequently substituted in the 61st minute.

Throughout the game, he appeared indifferent and bored, nearly refusing to track back and instead swinging his arms around and accusing others.

A performance that will make no one want to see him start again anytime soon.

A strange and concerning performance

The performance was odd because it felt like we were watching a bottom-half team play; we were second to every ball, unimaginative, and lackluster.

It’s strange after a midweek performance in which we scored three goals and a weekend performance in which we also scored three goals against Everton… But we didn’t appear to want to score against Newcastle.

There is a real problem with this team, and if Ten Hag does not solve it quickly, he may find himself in a difficult situation again.

The team must be rebuilt

The most important thing we learnt was that this team needs a lot of work, which we already knew, but this game really emphasized that. Except for Harry Maguire, there isn’t a single Newcastle player who wouldn’t start for us right now.

We need to overhaul every job from top to bottom, and it won’t be a short process. If Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his new footballing hierarchy get their way, expect numerous players to leave as soon as January.

On the one hand, there are players who deserve to be at the club right now. There is a great deal of work to be done.