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Daniel James is determined to respond to a difficult time for Manchester United by improving Wales’ Euro 2020 qualification hopes.

United have made their worst start to a top-flight campaign for 30 years after picking up only nine points from their opening eight games.

Sunday’s 1-0 defeat at Newcastle – who started the day only one place off the bottom of the table – left Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side just two points above the relegation zone.

“It’s important in football to react when things aren’t going so well,” said James, who has been United’s standout performer with three goals since his £15million summer move from Swansea.

“It’s alright when things are going good, but it’s important to deal with things when they are bad.

“It was the same when I was at Swansea and things weren’t going so well. I’ve always dealt with it exactly the same.

“I’ve had a good start personally (at United) and I’m enjoying my football. It’s about taking that into playing for Wales as well.”

James has had a meteoric rise from Swansea bit-part player to United first-team regular in the last 12 months.

The 21-year-old scored the winner on his first Wales start in March – against Thursday’s Euro 2020 qualifying opponents Slovakia – and there is expectation on him now to deliver both at club and international level.

But James says he can handle the huge pressure that comes with being in the United spotlight as well as a fully-fledged international.

“If you’d said a year ago what was going to happen to me I’d have said ‘Don’t be silly’,” James added ahead of the Group E qualifier in Trnava.

“It is massive progress in the space of a year being a Man United regular and playing for Wales.

“But things happen so quickly in football you have to be ready for anything. That goes when things go badly as well.

“A year ago I wasn’t really playing for Swansea and everything just happened so quickly.

“It is just a case of how you grasp that. Everyone who speaks to me just says be yourself and don’t let anything trouble you.

“I think having established myself at Man United so quickly has helped me. There is going to be pressure going into these games this week, but I’m used to that now.

“European football (with United) is similar to playing away in these countries. When you are expected to win the group then going away to any team – Slovakia, Azerbaijan, whoever – with different atmospheres, pitches and cultures, then it is really difficult.”

James recalls being on a family holiday in Spain when Wales made their way to the semi-finals of Euro 2016 in France under Chris Coleman.

Wales – who trail group leaders Croatia by four points with a game in hand – are a much-changed squad three years on, and James is part of an exciting and youthful group who have been given opportunities by manager Ryan Giggs.

“I remember watching it (Euro 2016) in Marbella and it was amazing to get to so far,” James said.

“The expectation now is to get back to the Euros. That’s what we want to do and it would be amazing for me and the rest of the young players to experience that.

“All the youngsters are grasping our roles – Harry Wilson, Ethan Ampadu – and there is a younger generation coming through. It is just a case of whether we can go on and qualify now.

“We’ve got two massive games this week – Slovakia away and Croatia at home – but the gaffer says we are capable of doing anything as a team. If we can go to Slovakia and win that would be a big statement.”

Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer apologised to the club’s fans after a 1-0 defeat at Newcastle left them in 12th place in the Premier League.

Disgruntled travelling supporters sang anti-Glazer family chants as Matty Longstaff’s debut goal at St James’ Park left United without an away win in 11 attempts in all competitions.

Manager Solskjaer admitted after the game that they had simply not been good enough.

He said: “We’re unhappy with the results and it’s the results that bring out the mood of everyone, and I’ve got to say sorry to the fans that we’re not winning games.

“But that’s down to that now as well, we have started a rebuild. This is not a similar situation to when I was sat here after Everton last year when I felt people had given up and they don’t give what they have for the shirt.

“These boys give everything they’ve got for the shirt, and we’ll get there again.”

The visitors enjoyed plenty of possession on Tyneside against a Magpies side routed 5-0 at Leicester a week earlier but failed to convert it into meaningful chances, with defender Harry Maguire’s glaring miss on the stroke of half-time as good as it got.

Asked to assess the performance, Solskjaer said: “Very symptomatic of where we are at the moment, disappointing. We don’t create enough chances to deserve to win a game of football – and that’s the short version.

“The first half, I couldn’t see that one coming before the game because it was such a disappointing performance first half.

“The ball, it seemed like we couldn’t control it, it seemed like it was a hot potato and it was bouncing off our feet.

“Second half was better, we dominated more – but you could still see a couple of counter-attacks coming, especially just before the goal as well.”

Newcastle’s Geordie head coach Steve Bruce was thrilled at the response of his players to their humiliation at the King Power Stadium as he enjoyed the first win of his managerial career over the club for which he played for eight-and-a-half years.

He said: “Especially against who the visitors were… It’s been a long time coming, probably too long.

“It’s been a difficult week in particular, but that result gives everybody a lift, and let’s just hope now they all come back from internationals and we can stay a bit injury-free.”