Wes Brown makes Manchester United v Newcastle prediction and says Erik ten Hag is not the problem

In the first part of a Ladbrokes Fanzone exclusive, former Manchester United defender Wes Brown spoke to us about tonight’s Carabao Cup tie against Newcastle and the problems at Old Trafford.

Red Devils can get better of Magpies again

Tonight’s game against Newcastle is a good game for United. This is a game to see where the lads are at and how we come back from a defeat.

Have we the courage to bounce back? We will find a lot out tonight, I suppose.

I know it is a cup game which takes the sting out of it but we are the title holders and we beat them in the final last year so they will want to get revenge.

I am very biased of course and although I do think it will be very tight, I fancy United 1-0 tonight. As a defender, I believe clean sheets are the key.

United need to show more aggression

We started the Manchester derby OK, but as the game went on City had a lot of control and time on the ball and they created the chances.

Once it went 2-0 it was very difficult for us to get back into it. I do feel like in a derby, especially when you are the underdog, that you really have to work hard at the beginning and try to get the first goal.

That can make a big difference. In general, it was not exciting on our part. We aren’t as aggressive as we used to be.

We should get into their faces more, tackle more, and spice the game up, and that’s not the case nowadays.

Unity key to success at Old Trafford

We have been in this position a few times and we just have to be able to battle this out together. It is as simple as that.

We showed that last year a little bit. When we stick together and believe in ourselves, we can come back from it. The mental aspect is important as well.

We need to get a few wins together to get the team’s confidence back. We are more than capable of going on a good run. We have always done itm but it is getting harder.

Last season was exceptional in the way we went on a run and got to two finals but ultimately you have to keep that momentum up.

Top-four finish still possible

I won’t change my mind on a top-four finish yet. I said we could at the beginning of the season, but I might have a different answer after Christmas! I just feel that we are capable of going on a run.

We aren’t playing to our highest standard right now. It could be a mental thing or that the lads just aren’t getting it together and getting back to basics. I just don’t know.

In terms of who will win the title, Tottenham have been excellent and then you have Arsenal who from last season’s experience might be able to kick on. However, I am predicting City will win it.

United’s talent will come out eventually

I was at United for many years and people used to always say to me, “aw, do you go out with the lads outside of work?”, and I always told them ‘no’.

But when we were there at work, we were a group of lads who not only got on, but we had a good time and enjoyed it. The main thing was that we worked hard.

We tried to run more than everyone, get more tackles in than everyone, and do our jobs individually to a high standard. If you get the basics right, I always feel that the talent will come out.

United have some talented players, but we have to learn to string it all together and we haven’t got to grips with that yet.

Winning silverware all depends on us going on that run I talked about and if we can, then we are capable of doing it. We aren’t at that point yet.

I don’t want Erik ten Hag to lose his job

I believe in Erik ten Hag and I really like him and what he sets out for the lads. The manager is the manager but it’s the lads on the pitch who need to get the job done.

I don’t like throwing blame in different directions. When I was a player, it was up to me to do the job to the best of my ability.

I feel there are too many players at the moment not doing that and a lot of it is down to confidence.

I do think the players are still behind Ten Hag. Every manager is different. I mean I only had one manager until I went to Sunderland, and then I had eight in five years.

It is about getting the right attitude with the manager and knowing what he really wants and understanding him properly.

I think Ten Hag is strict when he needs to be and now they just need to follow his direction. I don’t want him to lose his job.

We have had big, big managers here before after Sir Alex Ferguson and no one has quite got it right. So it’s not the manager that needs changing, but the mentality.