NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - APRIL 13: Harvey Barnes of Newcastle United celebrates scoring his ... More team's third goal during the Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Manchester United FC at St James' Park on April 13, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images) Getty Images On Sunday, when Newcastle United scored its fourth goal in the huge victory over Manchester United at St James’ Park, the difference between the two clubs became obvious. The crowd were in the mood for a party. Any win is great, especially one that puts Newcastle fourth in the Premier League at this late stage of the season. But beating Manchester United will always be extra special on Tyneside; for years, those fans who cheered every moment of the 4-1 win had to watch the Red Devils destroy their hopes and dreams. Over the last 30 years, there have been lost league title challenges, cup final defeats and disappointing results with very little joy. Winning that game was so sweet. Manchester United has not beaten Newcastle at its home stadium since 2020, so it is not a new sensation, but this win was so emphatic that it felt different. This was a game which showed just how much better Newcastle is right now; it wasn’t just a win, it was a dismantling. It was something to savour, but also strangely expected. While Newcastle dreams of Champions League qualification to add to its first domestic trophy win in 70 years, Manchester United is floundering in the bottom half of the Premier League table. Its problems run deep, and there is no quick fix, or even one single diagnosis. This malaise is the result of over a decade of mismanagement and gradual decline; it remains the biggest soccer club in England with a worldwide fanbase, but the team is so far away from matching its expectations. Because the club is so big, everybody has an opinion on what is wrong with it. Player recruitment is often heavily scrutinized, as well as the coach’s tactics, but the problem is much more fundamental; there is no culture or identity, no coherence between the standards in the boardroom and the performances on the pitch and no togetherness or unity. Compare that to Newcastle, a club and a city with direction and purpose. Together, everybody knows and works towards the same aims; a synergy from top to bottom. Players join the club knowing their roles under Eddie Howe, the best English coach of his generation, and they buy into his playing style and physical demands. Energy, intensity and effort are the minimum he expects, and that suits the attitude of supporters too. Newcastle is a working class city; its people respond if their way of life is represented. MORE FOR YOU Netflix’s Best New Show Nabs A Perfect 100% Critic Score Fed Official Confirms Trump Tariff Bailout Is Ready Amid $30 Trillion Market ‘Panic’ Warning Gmail And Microsoft 2FA Security Bypass — Take Action Now, Users Told NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - APRIL 13: Sandro Tonali of Newcastle United scores their side's first ... More goal during the Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Manchester United FC at St James' Park on April 13, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images) Getty Images As the club has grown more successful, better players have arrived. But because Howe and the fans respect hard work, it is a breeding ground for improvement beyond expected potential. The likes of Jacob Murphy, Sean Longstaff and Joelinton all struggled before Howe arrived, but they worked on how to find their place and stay in contention for places. Their games are enhanced by the players that join, like Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Alexander Isak. More talented they may be, but they must adhere to the clear, basic messaging: give everything for the shirt. It is a proven recipe for success. Talent cannot thrive at Manchester United Manchester United still looks at its past with wistful eyes. For almost 30 years under legendary coach Sir Alex Ferguson, its success was built on the same principles as Newcastle’s is now. But since his retirement in 2013, standards have dropped; nobody has replaced Ferguson’s leadership at Old Trafford, whether that be in the boardroom or coach’s dugout. Supporters have protested against the ownership of the Glazer family, and subsequent minority stakeholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe; neither appear capable or willing to find an ultimate solution to the problem. The result is stark. Money has been spent over the years, well over $1bn. Many of the players have been judged as not good enough for the club, but the truth is, talent is useless if there is no process or system in which is can thrive. So many players have become elite at other clubs and immediately regressed when they pull on the red shirt, before leaving and regaining previous form. Coaches have arrived with huge reputations and histories of success, but all fail to create anything beyond mediocrity. A lot has been made of the gap in quality between the players of the two clubs, but it was Manchester United’s squad which cost the most to assemble. While the likes of Tonali and Guimaraes were supreme on the pitch, had they switched teams, there is no guarantee they would have the freedom to replicate their performances. On one side, there is a club with purpose and a plan to execute its ambitions, driven on by collective values. On the other, a former powerhouse with high demands for a return to its glory days, but nothing in place to make it happen. It is being crushed under the weight of its very existence. The game was barely a contest, but off the pitch, the gap between both is much, much bigger. Editorial StandardsForbes Accolades