"Most purchases have been average and at United average is not good enough."
So Erik ten Hag told Voetbal International in January. A week later, United signed the average-at-best Wout Weghorst. Weghorst is actually below average.
He is indisputably not good enough. Two goals in 19 starts - both of them rebounds. Ie. with the goalkeeper sprawled on the turf and the goal open. Even Weghorst couldn't miss those.
Also read: Ten Hag pushing for United to be more ruthless in transfer window
This correspondent wrote 11 days into Weghorst's United career he is an extra body and the 30-year-old is barely that at times. He has not improved the United team or squad, contrary to Ten Hag's defence on Friday.
It is not a coincidence the first time Weghorst and Anthony Martial were available the latter replaced the former after an hour at St James' Park. Martial had United's only goalscoring opportunity worthy of the Match of the Day highlights package.
Weghorst admitted he was "s--t" after failing to score for the Netherlands against Gibraltar last week. That summary would accurately describe his contribution against Newcastle, where he had fewer touches than either goalkeeper.
It is not entirely Weghorst's fault. The United players are reluctant to play the ball to him as he is too cumbersome and too impotent. A teammate at Burnley noticed Weghorst gets shorter when he jumps and United's wingers and full-backs demur whenever there is space to cross.
They were not impressed with Weghorst at Turf Moor, where they say he spoke "as though he was Lewandowski". Weghorst has as many goals for United as he did for Burnley in 20 games.
Weghorst has been overexposed and overplayed but whenever Martial next cries off Ten Hag cannot place his compatriot at the tip of a blunt arrow again. Scott McTominay or Anthony Elanga are more mobile and more aligned with United's other forwards than Weghorst.
Marcus Rashford is more destructive from the left but United would be more threatening with Rashford on the prowl between the posts and the fitful Jadon Sancho cutting inside.
Weghorst was the most cost-efficient January signing by United since Paul Scholes put his boots back on after an unfulfilling retirement in 2012. When a modest loan fee was touted, a figure at Burnley said, "I wish United had that much."
Cody Gakpo had the benefit of learning from Ruud van Nistelrooy, United's greatest goalscorer since his old neighbour Denis Law, but Ten Hag considered Gakpo as a centre forward, given United's surfeit of right-footed left wingers. Had the Glazers bankrolled a move it would have compromised United's summer priority of signing a new striker.
Yet United have not scored in their last three league games and their goal difference of +4 after 27 matches is their worst in the Premier League era. It was at +10 at the same stage under the stultifying style of Louis van Gaal in 2015-16, wreck-it Ralf Rangnick's tenure and in the progressive 1990-91 season that ended with Bryan Robson raising the European Cup Winners' Cup.
United's goal difference has not been this abysmal since 1989-90, the season the 'Ta ra Fergie' bedsheet was unfurled by Pete Molyneux on the Stretford End. United were on -3 in a season they finished in 16th and salvaged with the FA Cup.
Ten Hag was dismayed by the mention of their league impotence. "Look, I always have to laugh about such questions because you [are] bringing up a story.
"But we score in many other games, we create. Definitely today, we didn't but also in the games you refer to, two games before, we did create chances. Today, we didn't.
"But I know this team has the quality to score goals. Today was not a good day for us."
Another Ten Hag signing has contributed to the current team's profligacy. Ten Hag's recruitment hit-rate is undermined by the exorbitant investment in Antony, cowed after Dan Burn fouled him.
Antony had Burn jigging like the Geordie Dancer before their collision in front of the lippy Newcastle assistant manager Jason Tindall, who also resorted to antagonising Antony. A friend in the away end messaged after the match, "The word Fergie used to use was courage and Antony lacks it in his play."
Antony's last act was to downgrade a counter-attack into a possession exercise that drew audible groans from the United followers in the nosebleed territory. Antony is too one-paced, indirect and indulgent. He was still piqued when Ten Hag hooked him for Sancho.
United have all but given up on Martial but, provided he does not submit another sicknote, he is a means to an end of a season that United hope ends with the FA Cup final two months today.
Martial's United career has also been average at best.
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