It has been a Premier League season to forget for Manchester United, with Opta telling us that the champions are now guaranteed to finish with a lower total than in any of Sir Alex Ferguson’s 21 campaigns.

It is United’s dreadful home form that has been the major factor behind this as they actually have the best away record in the Premier League – with 30 points from a possible 48 – and I fully expect them to make that 33 from 51 on Saturday afternoon against struggling Newcastle.

Alan Pardew’s men, who have failed to score in 10 of their last 14 league games, come into the game on the back of two heavy defeats against Southampton and Everton during which they barely laid a finger on the opposition and it is hard to see them get anything out of United.

The one glimmer for Newcastle – possibly reflected in the generous price for Man Utd – is that the visitors may be tired after an energy sapping game against Bayern Munich in midweek, but David Moyes will be able to freshen the team up with the likes of Juan Mata and Darren Fletcher and I don’t see it being a factor.