Aha, Andy Hunter’s report is with us, which means we’re done here.
Thanks all for your company and comments, sorry I couldn’t use them all. Have a good night and peace out.
“If Manchester United are the fourth best team in the Premier League, after their shambles of a season,” says Justin Kavanagh, “I’m not sure what that says about the Premier League.”
As far as the Prem goes, I think it says there are a lot of teams who are capable of beating each other – that’s what kept United in touch. That and the quality of United’s attackers, who are proper. If you stick the right midfielder in for Casemiro, you’ll have a decent team, and you add a full-back or two you could really be talking. I’m amped to see how they fritter the opportunity.
Credit where it’s due, United absolutely nailed their summer signings. It blows my mind that initially, there were no plans to sign a keeper and, as I wrote at the time, I’d have signed a midfielder instead of one of the three attackers. But each of the players to arrive has made a huge difference, and I imagine we’ll be seeing many more Cunha-Mbeumo-Sesko goals.
Everton didn’t play badly tonight, but they struggled to create and badly need a reliable scorer. I’ve not a clue where one, never mind them, finds such a thing.
That’s a really big win for United. Before the latest round of matches, they were a point ahead of Chelsea; now it’s three, the same number by which they lead Liverpool, who also won a tight, tough away game.
FULL-TIME: Everton 0-1 Manchester United
A huge win for United, who return to fourth place; Everton stay eighth.
90+6 min Garner drifts a lovely ball into the box, no one can get a material touch on it, it falls behind foi a goalkick, and that will, I think, be the last action.
90+5 min Bruno is booked for scything down Branthwaite.
90+5 min Cunha wins a goalkick off Garner – those two have had a ding-dong – and celebrates by shouting in his face, as one would. He’s immediately replaced by Heaven, not before he gets himself into trouble, but it’s a fringe benefit.
90+4 min George moves forward with the ball, no one engages so from 20 yards he shoots … and Lammens dives, collecting in front of his midriff having leapt expecting it to hit a corner.
90+3 min Another chance for United to counter but Cunha makes a mess of his pass with two men over. No matter, Bruno gets it forward, Dalot puts the ball in the middle and here comes Sesko to finish a move that’s extremely similar to the one which brought his goal. This time, though, Pickford is out to him, palming away on the dive as the United man looks to round him.
90+2 min United keep it in the corner and environs for a bit, then when Branthwaite wins it back and looks to break, Mazraoui brings him down and takes the inevitable yellow card.
90+1 min We’ll have five additional minutes; United begin them by winning a corner, which they take short, wasting a minute or so.
90 min “Re Bruno,” begins John Cox, “whether or not you’re a good player depends on only one thing, and that’s whether your team plays better with you in it. That tends to mean not standing around going full teapot when less gifted teammates misplace passes.”
Or does it mean being the best attacking midfielder, according to pretty much every metric, in the top-five leagues, even when playing deep? It’s a bit like it was with Roy Keane: people watching think his teammates must hate him, when the reality is the reverse.
88 min United are sitting back, inviting pressure. Students of the Post-Fergie Wilderness YearsTM know this rarely ends well for them and, as I type, they concede another corner … again cleared, but the ball keeps coming back.
87 min I’ve just chuckled to myself imagining Garnacho conceiving of, wanting to hit and executing the pass Cunha did for the goal.
86 min Like now, but Casemiro glides a pass straight at Branthwaite, allowing Everton to spring, but when Ndiaye crosses, Lammens is there.
85 min Yet another corner comes in and yet again, Lammens punches away firmly enough. It’s all Everton now, but United have possibilities on the break.
84 min Before it’s taken, Tarkowski shoves Yoro into the net, both are booked, then the ball is sent into the melee, bodies wrestling everywhere, and somehow it goes behind.
83 min More Everton pressure, then Keane picks up the ball 30 yards out, skipping into a donkey kick not dissimilar to the one he scored in the last seconds against Spurs the season before last … and Lammens dives to palm around the post.
81 min “I love Carrick, I think he’s done a great job,” said Joshua Keeling before the goal. “But Amorim would have been hammered for this performance.”
A difference, though, is that Carrick sent on Sesko to try and find a goal, rather than an ouside centre-back for an outside centre-back. As it goes, United were starting to attack properly towards the end of Amorim’s time – though i think he earned the sack, had he not lost Fernandes, Sesko, Amad and Mbeumo at the same time, he’d probably have stayed in the job.
Updated
80 min It’s sent into the mixer, but United do enough and the ball goes behind for a goalkick.
78 min Everton win another corner and though Lammens has dealt with them really well so far, it only takes one error or decent delivery and he’s in trouble. And Garner sends in a good ball, but it hits George and bounces away from goal. No matter: Everton win another one, then send on Beto for Iroegbunam, and there’s all sorts of ruckus going on inside the box.
77 min Pickford is booked for mouthing about summat or other; United send on Mazraoui for Mbeumo, who’s limping; I think that means he goes to right-back, with Dalot on the … wing?
76 min The highest praise I can give the goal is that as soon as Cunha executed the pass, you knew it was coming. When Sesko gets into stride, he takes some stopping, a basketballer’s physique with figure-skating feet.
74 min Are we sure it’s Harrison Armstrong, not Armstrong Harrison?
73 min Everton send on George for Armstrong.
GOAL! Everton 0-1 Manchester United (Sesko 72)
The Solskjaer throwback continues! Maguire heads the corner away and, deep inside his own half, left-hand side, Cunha threads a disgracefully brilliant pass crossfield to Mbeumo … who 25 yards from goal, slips into the path of Sesko, and the finish, punched into the bottom-right, is as confident as it is competent.
Updated
71 min Everton are pressing, have a man over in Garner, and when the ball is slipped into his path, Cunha slides in to make a crucial block; corner.
71 min Talking of whom, competence is exactly what United required in their goal. A simply dreadful keeper would’ve been a massive improvement, but he’s stopped pretty much everything he ought to have stopped, and made some much better saves too.
69 min Everton win a corner and Armstrong shoves Fernandes, vexed about who knows what; they move on, then Garner swings in towards the back post. Tarkowski can’t get at it properly, his header going up in the air, but when it comes down, he finds a decent cross, gathered competently by Lammens.
68 min “Cards on the table,” begoins Matt Dony. “Being a Liverpool fan, it’s not surprising I’m perfectly happy to stick the boot into United. And some players are just unlikeable to pretty much everyone apart from fans of the club they play for. (We had Suarez. We know of which we speak.) And yet, I find myself feeling genuinely bad for Fernandes. An extravagantly gifted footballer, who’s has spent his prime years surrounded by an absolute shambles. There have been some real nadirs for United over the last few years. But imagine how much worse it could have been without Bruno. I’d have a cob on, too.”
I agree. It blew my mind to see internets mavens (really: mevinim) dissing him as some kind of luxury wastrel. In a good team he’d be revered as one of th ebest players ever to play in England.
66 min Now United counterr, Sesko finding Cunha who drives forward, waiting to supply a killer return and instead slipping. It’s that kind of game.
66 min Again, Lammens comes for a corner, punching to the edge, where again, Gueye has a shot blocked.
64 min Everton maintain pressure, Casemiro showing his arse and selling himself like he’s Virgil van Dijk, Dewsbury-Hall moving by him and shooting low, the effort deflected behind for a corner.
63 min But Everton counter, Ndiaye dipping inside Mainoo and finding Gueye, who drills into the nearest shins as though doing so on purpose.
61 min Cunha’s had enough, taking possession during another funereal sequence and driving infield, firing and following a pass that’s just the wrong side of Mbeumo. United, though, are back dominating possession and doing little with it.
61 min United create a rondo situation, but a poor pass from Mainoo means they’re soo back in their own area, starting again.
59 min “Regarding Carrick’s attire,” begins Paiul from Murcia, “at least it’s not every hoody or track suit top United can’t shift out of the Megastore like another manager we could mention.”
Come on, whatever else we say about Amorim, that man can rock some leisurewear.
58 min Sesko is ready to come on, presuably for Amad … and yup, that’s what happens.
57 min Under pressure from Mbeumo as Pickford smothers the ball, Tarkowski steps into Mbeumo, introducing shoulder to face. It looks a sair yin, but he’ll be fine.
56 min Dalot stands on the ball and Armstrong finds Dewsbury-Hall, whose cross goes somewhere towards Bridgewater Hall.
54 min Mainoo, though, is getting himself on the ball more often, which tends to mean United are playing better and, as I type, Casemiro lofts a lovely pass over the top and down the line for Dalot. Again, though, his timing is is excellent but finesse poor, side-footing a bouncing ball directly into Keane when he had options inside the box.
53 min It’s end to end now, like two rugby teams playing basketball.
50 min Fernandes is dropping deeper and deeper, to get on the ball, starting an attack with the ball ending up at the feet of Mainoo down the right. his cross is a goodun, Tarkowski, diving at it, can only lob into the air, and Mbeumo is there, lamping over the top from an acute angle.
Updated
47 min Are we watching United regress to the mean, the new manager bounce deadened, or are Everton – and West Ham – just difficult sides to break down? Probably a bit of both and for now, it’s the home side dominating, Maguire intercepting Garner’s cross and Shaw bringing away before winning a free-kick.
46 min Better already, Ndiaye turning Casemiro nicely but far too easily on the right touchline, moving the ball into the box for Dewsbury-Hall. He moves on one more for Armstrong, whose pass, though the correct finish, is poorly applied, far too close to Lammens so saved easily enough.
Updated
Nope, Sesko remains on the bench. It won’t be long before we see him I don’t imagine, but if I was Carrick I’d put my collar down then decide not to waste another 15 minutes with more of the same.
I wonder if either manager will make a half-time change. My guess is Moyes is relatively satisfied with what he’s seen, but Carrick might try Sesko – he was late to bring him on at West Ham and United have barely threatened so far.
Half-time email: “What is Bruno Fernandes so angry about ALL the time?: wonders Chris in Corfu.
Have you seen the teams he’s played for? I think he’s doing pretty well to hold it down, watching his brilliant talent frittering in front of a worldwide audience.
Half-time reading:
HALF-TIME: Everton 0-0 Manchester United
That was miserable fare, both sides poor in possession but solid enough at the back. Thinking for the managers to do.
45+3 min “It’s because he insists on committing a routine winter-specific fashion offence,” says Allan Castle of Carrick’s collar. “A t-shirt under a blazer (or in this case a long cashmere coat). It’s winter, he’s going to be spending two hours standing outside – why the dickens is he wearing a t-shirt? His neck is obviously going to get cold.”
I’d venture that the fashion offence is the blazer itself, whatever it’s teamed with.
45+1 min Both clubs have had nearly a fortnight to prepare for this game, time they appear to have spent playing Fortnite.
45 min We’ll have three additonal minutes.
43 min Lammens, not shy in coming for crosses, punches away, and when United win back the ball, they have a rare chance to counter, Casemiro on the ball. His pass, though, looking to put Mbeumo through is poor and easily intercepted. This is not good stuff.
42 min Amad has a chance to slide a ball in behind for Bruno … and underhits it. That’s extremely poor, and shortly afterwards, an error from Casemiro facilitates a counter, Garner winning a corner that has Keane and Tarkowski trotting forward.
Updated
40 min So far, Everton’s full-backs have done good jobs – though United haven’t isolated either as much as they should and, as I type, one of their own, Luke Shaw, has fouled Ndiaye, offering Garner another chance to swing a ball into the box. Again, United head it clear, but Everton are now threatening to threaten.
39 min He gets hold of it too, a swerving knuckleball that Lammens watches well, catching on the dive.
39 min A foul from Amad gives Everton a free-kick 35 yards out, pretty much dead centre, and Garner’s going to hit this…
37 min What is it with Michael Carrick and his overcoat collar turning up from the lapels? Is it a Cantona homage?
36 min Dalot slides into Mbeumo, who shifts it infield, looking to create an angle for a Solskjaer finish dragged rough the defender’s legs and inside the near post … but the effort zips wide.
Updated
33 min Ndiaye and Iroegbunam combine well to leave Mainoo and Fernandes stranded but, with men up, Dewsbury-Hall gives the ball away.
Updated
32 min There’s pace and tempo to this game but, so far, very little quality.
31 min Bruno’s delivery is poor and the ball’s headed clear, but straight to Dalot on the edge. He lets go a swerving, screeching monster – seriously – that flies just wide of the top corner.
30 min Amad goes at Branthwaite on the outside and the tackle wins the ball but, still on his feet, Amad saunters past, Branthwaite pulls him back, and somehow avoids a card. Free-kick United, right-hand side, five yards outside the box.
Updated
29 min Barry into Dewsbury-Hall, who looks to backheel in behind for the marauding Gueye, but Maguire and Yoro block him off.
27 min United are struggling to penetrate, as much as reflection of how hard it is against a well organised block as their own shortcomings – though both sides’ passing has been very careless.
26 min Keane drills a switch out to Ndiaye, who looks to take it on the move, moving inside Shaw with his first touch, but a block foils the ruse.
24 min Ahh, when he takes his top off, we see Barry already has some kind of protection on his shoulder, but he adjusts his rigging then comes back on.
Updated
24 min Garner chips towards the far post, seeking Keane, Mainoo clears and United win a throw.
23 min Barry’s in some pain here – he landed on his shoulder – so Beto warms up, but he’ll not be needed at this juncture I shouldn’t think.
Updated
21 min Under Carrick, Mainoo getting plenty of possession is a sign United are playing well. So far, he’s seen little of it, but here he is now, being veered away from by Barry, who’s just turned Yoro; he brings him down and Everton have a free-kick 40 yards out, fairly central.
Updated
20 min Much better from United, Mainoo sliding a clever pass down the side of the box for Bruno, who fools Branthwaite by dipping inside. But his cross is a poor one and the move breaks down.
18 min Mbeumo turns up on the right to go at Branthwaite, looks to have beaten him and is quickly unloaded. So far, United aren’t getting men close enough together to try the rondo-style play that has been so successful under Carrick so far.
17 min Everton are doing a good job of blocking up the midfield, United forced to attempt hopeful give-and-goes as they seek to progress.
Updated
14 min Pickford kicks long with Branthwaite well downfield, and though Dalot does enough not to lose the challenge, Everton immediately win a throw deep inside United territory. Again, though, it’s Amad on-hand to win a challenge and the visitors build once more.
14 min Tarkowski jumps under a high ball and, with a hand on Amad’s head, levers over the top of him, thumping the ground in pain after landing awkwardly. I think he’ll be OK.
10 min We’ve not seen much of Everton as an attacking force so far, but they’re playing with intent.
8 min In comms, they note that the last time Everton did the double over United was when Moyes was managing the latter – a fair few clubs recorded their first Old Trafford wins in ages that time too, Newcastle and Southampton among them. I was at Goodison for what turned out to be Moyes’ final game before getting fired – the performance was so bad you knew it was coming – and the stand-out memory is this song.
Updated
7 min Casemiro turns into trouble, Barry pilfering, but Amad, who’s so diligent at tracking back and surprisingly useful in the tackle, does what does.
7 min It’s been a decent start to the game and, as I type, Cunha turns adroitly, only for Iroegbunam to immediately confiscate possession.
5 min The way United’s front line are able to rotate makes them hard to predict, but I wonder if they’ll miss a presence in the box.
4 min Bruno spreads to Mbeumo, on the left of the box, the volleys into the middle, and Dalot, whose timing is excellent but finesse less so, misses the ball. So Cunha shoots, hitting Amad, then Amad swivels to shoot, Pickford tipping away and Tarkowski, who slips, hooking off the line, cramp football-style.
Updated
3 min At West Ham, United lacked a bit of trickery through the middle, but all this conjecture is for nothing because Amad is now back on the right with Mbeumo in the centre.
2 min I don’t know if the identity of Everton’s full-backs have prompted this move, but, for now at least, Amad is playing through the middle.
1 min United set us away with a backpass, Barry charges down Lammens’ clearance, and a ball that might’ve whizzed into the net goes behind for a goalkick. As a tone-setter, it’s decent and the highest praise I can give Barry’s endeavour is to say it belonged at Goodison.
Updated
Our players are tunnelled … and here they come. The ground is up for it.
“Really did not see James Garner developing into the versatile, consistent professional that he has done since he left United,” says Christopher Flaherty. “Fair play to him.”
I remember thinking when he was on loan at Forest and doing really well that if you relocated Fred from United’s midfield to the Champo, he’d not be bossing it like that. I thought I was watching a Premier League player, but agree he’s become better than I expected him to.
“‘What’s your favourite kind of cheese?’” was a stupid question asked of Steven Gerrard,” says Andrew Goudie. “‘Melted’, he replied.”
I’m surprised he didn’t stay longer in America.
In other news, I very much enjoyed this pluralisation from your James Milners of this world:
“You go back to the managers of Terry Venables, Sir Bobby Robson, Hüzerlers, Jürgen Klopps, Roberto di Zerbis, I feel blessed that I have been able to learn so much and play under these guys.”
So, where is the game?
Everton will look to counter and, I’m sure, have Thierno Barry run off Harry Maguire, with Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall looking to make Casemiro chase back. Meantime, Iliman Ndiaye will run at Diogo Dalot and attack the channel between him and Leny Yoro.
United, meanwhile, will look to stretch the pitch and test Everton’s part-time full-backs. IU’m sure Idrissa Gueye will be deputed to police Bruno Fernandes, so I’d not be surprised to see him pull wide with Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo moving into the vacated space. And it’s also worth noting that Everton lack pace and feet in the middle of the defence, so I’d expect cut-backs, low crosses, and players running at Keane and Tarkowski, rather than high balls spammed into the box.
“You mention United’s lack of a left-winger right as I was silently giving thanks that we are spared another evening of the slack-jawed Garnacho spurning chance after gilt-edged chance before trudging off to text his hairdresser,” offers Duncan Edwards.
I don’t think anyone could argue that United haven’t upgraded on him, and from what we hear about his behaviour, it made sense for Ruben Amorim to get rid. But, at worst, he’s a good sub who wouldn’t have been sold were the manager keen on him as a bloke and funds not so desperately needed.
Email! “There in much consternation online amongst Evertonians regarding 1) the lack of Saturday 3pm kickoffs (only three this season) and 2) Nathan Patterson not being played at right-back. As for number one, many fans note the distinct lack of atmosphere for a Monday night game; this will be Everton’s third this season (in addition to three away). As for number two, while I think that James Garner is quite a useful player at any position, I’m not sure if I want a 6’5 Jarrad Branthwaite running up and down the wings the way that Jake O’Brien has been asked to. My guess is that Garner will play on Ndiaye’s side, but Ndiaye tends to switch sides unexpectedly, so who knows.
I also want to note that Everton are fourth in the league with 30 goals allowed in 26 games. If they stay tight at the back this evening I like their chances.”
My guess is that Branthwaite will be asked to lean on Amad, who is much, much stronger than he looks but still a little bloke; that feels feasible, but so does Branthwaite getting skipped past.
Otherwise, I can definitely see Everton getting something tonight, but if United play well, it’ll be difficult for them because United have so much attacking threat.
Finally, I know what you mean about Monday night matches, but I’d expect the ground to be jumping for this one – and, for what it’s worth, one of the best atmospheres I’ve ever experienced was one of them, I think on the basis that if you’re committing to go from Manchester to Southampton away, you’re extending the weekend and offering a fair bit of refreshment time on trains and buses.
I’m minded of Martin Buchan’s legendary response – later pilfered by Gordon Strachan – to a reporter he didn’t know putting a hand on his chest to stop him going to get a drink.
“A quick word, Martin?
“Velocity.”
And because he’d been so rude I added ‘fuck off’.”
“How important is a top goalkeeper if you want to win the league,” Dave Jones wonders of Edwin van der Sar, who can’t help but draw attention to the inherent ridiculousness of the question. “What do you think I’m going to say?” he replies. “That you don’t need one?”
More of this please.
I wonder if United’s lack of a left-winger encouraged Moyes to go for Jimmy Garner at right-back. Without an opponent holding width, he’s freer to invert into midfield; if I was Carrick, though I’m not mad about Matheus Cunha through the middle. I’d think about sticking Amad or Mbeumo on the left, to attack Garner on the outside.
I guess Carrick also likes Sesko off the bench, with good reason – two injury-time belters in the last two games have been helpful, but he was also good at Arsenal. Having ti handle that genre of physical specimen after an hour spent chasing about can’t be an especially pleasant activity.
Get on with it.
I wondered if Carrick would pick Benjamin Sesko for this one – now that you ask, I would’ve done. Against compact low blocks, a centre-forward is helpful in terms of a reference point, chaos-causing and knowing where the ball is likely to drop. But Carrick seems to prefer three all-purpose attackers able to pop up anywhere across the front line, to a bloke you know will almost always be between the width of the posts.
Updated
As for United, Lisandro Martínez has a calf strain and will miss a week or two; Michael Carrick might’ve been tempted to bring in Ayden Heaven, who’s a good passer and also left-footed, but Leny Yoro’s superb match-saving cameo at West Ham, last time out, earns him the shirt.
David Moyes makes three changes to the team that lost at home to Bournemouth: out goes the suspended Jake O’Brien, along with Vitaliy Mykolenko and Tyrique George, who drop to the bench; Michael Keane returns, along with Tim Iroegbunam and Harrison Armstrong. That means James Garner, formerly of United, and Jarrad Branthwaite will be at full-back.
Teams!
Everton (4-3-3): Pickford; Garner, Tarkowski, Keane, Branthwaite; Gana, Iroegbunam, Dewsbury-Hall; Armstrong, Barry, Ndiaye. Subs: King, Patterson, McNeil, Beto, Mykolenko, George, Dibling, Coleman, Rohl.
Manchester United (4-2-3-1): Lammens; Dalot, Maguire, Yoro, Shaw; Casemiro, Mainoo; Amad, Fernandes, Cunha; Mbeumo. Subs: Bayindir, Heaven, Malacia, Mazraoui, Moorhouse, Fletcher, Ugarte, Sesko, Zirkzee.
Referee: Darren England (Doncaster)
Preamble
Human existence demands an endless search for narrative – consider religion, psychotherapy and the arts – so of course football, its most uniting obsession, does likewise. Consequently, every game Michael Carrick’s Manchester United face is an episode in his quest to earn the permanent manager’s job, the most daunting and meaningful obstacle always the next one.
First, he was asked to beat good teams considered far superior to his own, and he did; then, he was asked to beat ones he was expected to, at home, and did that too; now, he’s being asked to beat difficult ones away, something United failed to do at West Ham.
Really, a proper team needs to be good at all three of these activities. But in this case, it is the third which will ultimately decide how things go: United have long found ways to use individual excellence to overcome the top sides and last summer finally bought well enough to win home games against lesser ones through sheer weight of talent; whether they can achieve positive results in awkward aways remains to be seen.
And Everton are certainly that. Though their home record isn’t great, they’re a decent side with decent players and won’t want to lose on United’s first visit to their new ground, its atmosphere intensified by the evening kick-off. As they seek to turn it into a home, full of shared memories, they’ll be looking to write stories of their own – so far, the best side they’ve beaten at the Sponsorship Stadium is Fulham. or, in other words, a win tonight would be pretty decent inciting incident.
Kick-off: 8pm GMT
