Manchester United 3 Newcastle 2: Alexis Sanchez to the rescue for Jose Mourinho after first-half horror show

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If this really is the way that it all ends, it will have been with both a bang and a whimper.

A whimper, for the dereliction of duty offered by Manchester United's miserable defence in conceding twice in the opening ten minutes to a Newcatsle side that had not led a Premier League match this season.

A bang, for Jose Mourinho's mind-boggling plethora of mid-game tactical switches that eventually sparked a terrific Old Trafford comeback to grab a priceless 3-2 win.

Reports on Friday evening had claimed that Mourinho was set to be sacked regardless of Saturday's result, and though the club rebuked those claims, it remains to be seen whether three points, even in these circumstances, is enough to keep the Portuguese in a job.

Scott McTominay, Anthony Martial and Ashley Young were recalled in the hope of eliciting a response after the dour 0-0 draw against Valencia. Instead, United got off to the worst start imaginable.

First, Brazilian midfielder Kenedy was allowed the freedom of Old Trafford to turn and run at Young, who in turn did nothing to halt his progress as he cut inside and curled past David De Gea.

From the very next attack, Yoshinori Muto was allowed a similarly farcical amount of space, this time by Eric Bailly, inside the United penalty area to control, turn and fire home.

Mourinho responded by hooking the abysmal Bailly inside 20 minutes and sending on Juan Mata, with McTominay once again drafted into the defence.

Marcus Rashford missed a brilliant chance to reduce the deficit, heading past the far post from six yards when brilliantly found by Romelu Lukaku.

Muto then came close to adding a third, before Newcastle were denied a penalty when Young stuck an arm out to block Jonjo Shelvey's free-kick but the officials failed to notice the touch.

The home side should have had a spot kick of their own, when Muto used his arm to control a Man United corner, but again nothing was given.

At half-time Mourinho acted again, bringing Marouane Fellaini on for McTominay and dropping Nemanja Matic into a defence that initially included Paul Pogba in a back three, before the Frenchman moved into something of a free role.

Matic blazed over the bar with the goal at his mercy after Martin Dubravka had parried Pogba's shot, while Rashford headed over again, as Mourinho's chaotic formation pushed the home side onto the front foot.

With 20 minutes to go, they finally had a lifeline as Juan Mata curled home a delightful free-kick.

It was somehow apt that two of the players most publically at odds with Mourinho in recent months, Martial and Pogba, should combine for the leveller, with the latter's delightful flick teeing up Martial to lash home at the near post.

But it was Mourinho's final throw of the dice, introducing the much-maligned Alexis Sanchez for Marcus Rashford, which finally got him out of jail, the Chilean heading Young's cross past Dubravka as the clock ticked into stoppage time.

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