Marouane Fellaini admits Newcastle clash is a must-win game for Manchester United and Jose Mourinho

Fellaini sums up the mood in the United camp ahead of the visit of Rafa Benitez's side.
Getty Images

Manchester United’s players accept Saturday’s clash with Newcastle has become a must-win game for Jose Mourinho.

The goalless draw with Valencia in the Champions League extended United’s winless run to four games and has increased the pressure on their under fire manager.

Mourinho faces old rival Rafa Benitez at Old Trafford, desperately looking for a morale-boosting performance before the two-week international break.

If he fails to record a first win at home since the opening day of the season against Leicester it will place further scrutiny on his long-term future.

In Pictures | Manchester United vs Valencia | 02/10/2018

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Mourinho insisted this week that his job wasn’t on the line - but he came in for scathing criticism from United legend Paul Scholes on Tuesday, who claimed the Portuguese was lucky not to be sacked after last weekend’s 3-1 defeat to West Ham.

Despite rifts running through his squad, United’s players put on a public show of unity by gathering in a huddle ahead of kick-off against Valencia.

But there is an acceptance now that the Newcastle game is critical in the face of the deepening crisis at Old Trafford.

Marouane Fellaini summed up the mood in the dressing room, saying: “The spirit is there. You saw it today, but we have to win on Saturday.

United are now without a win in four.
AFP/Getty Images

“We put energy, effort, we run forward, we try to score the goal. Okay we didn’t, but we have to keep going.

“We have the the next game Saturday and we play every three days so it is another chance to do better. We have to work hard and try to win on Saturday.

“It is always good to win the game before the break for internationals. It’s important.”

Scholes added to the mounting pressure on Mourinho with a brutal assessment of his reign ahead of Valencia.

The BT Sport pundit said: “I am sat here actually surprised he survived after Saturday, the performance was that bad.

“He’s constantly having a go at players. He’s having a go at those above him because he’s not getting what he wants.

“I think his mouth is probably out of control and I think he’s embarrassing the club.”

Another United legend Rio Ferdinand added that Mourinho had to take the blame for the current mess at the club.

“There’s not a work ethic,” he said. “The attitude doesn’t seem right.

“Football’s not easy, you have to work hard. That’s a basic trait of any footballer or any team to be successful they have to have.

“This team doesn’t have that, and where does that come from? That comes from and is driven by one person at the top, the manager. It falls at his feet.”

But Fellaini remains adamant the players are behind Mourinho - and says the huddle was evidence of that.

“Everyone is going in the same direction to try to improve and to do better,” he said. “I think we wanted to show that we are together.

“It was a bad day against West Ham. We were all bad. Today I think we showed improvement and we have to keep going.

“I think everybody is behind the manager. We have to do our best and do our job. We showed it today but we have to do better on Saturday.”

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