OPINION
Newcastle United fans were no doubting fearing the worst when they saw defender Javier Manquillo in the starting line-up against Manchester United on Saturday.
The 24-year-old has proven himself to be nothing but a liability during his outings in a Magpies shirt but with Paul Dummett rooted to the sidelines due to injuries, Rafa Benitez had no chance but to put his trust in his fellow Spaniard.
While the Magpies may have lost the match 3-2 after a triumph comeback by Man United, Manquillo is definitely one player who still deserves praise for latest display.
The left-back, who can also dabble as a right-back, defied expectations again Man United in order to keep Ashley Young in his pocket for as long as humanly possible.
The Man United full-back, who is an attacking threat for his side, constantly tried to burst forward for his team during the first-half and was completely outsmarted by Manquillo on every occasion.
While Young, who earns £110,000-a-week at Old Trafford (Source: Spotrac), had some success down the flank in the later stages of the game, it shouldn’t overshadow that the Magpies defender defied expectations to give his side a fighting chance.
If you had asked several Newcastle supporters ahead of the game whether a narrow defeat was possible with Manquillo playing, then they probably would have backed him to be at fault for every single goal conceded.
But that wasn’t the case on Saturday and he was a credit to his side for the majority of the game.
While the Magpies full-back has a long way to go until he proves that he is a capable Premier League defender, as this is the first time he has impressed in the division, at least it may now be believed that he can cover for Dummett’s absence for at least a little while.
This is because after defying the odds once against Man United, he can do it again.
