10 Stats That Show Why Newcastle United Lost To Manchester United

4. The Home Side Attempted 17 Crosses... And Completed Just Two

Some Magpies fans may wonder why John Carver's side are so determined to put the ball into the box in the first place, such is their lack of height up front, but if that is the tactic then the execution needs to be far more accurate. Newcastle attempted 17 crosses in the match against Man United - but just two reached a teammate. Ryan Taylor crossed in the 41st minute for Mike Williamson, whose shot was blocked, while Moussa Sissoko produced a beautifully-whipped delivery for Papiss Cisse's injury-time header. Even doubling the cross accuracy from 12% to 24% would give the likes of Cisse and Emmanuel Riviere a far greater number of opportunities to put the ball into the back of the net.