Manchester United fought back from 2-0 down to claim a spirited draw at Goodison Park, but the first 70 minutes was probably one of – if not the worst – United performances this season.
Late goals from Bruno Fernandes and Manuel Ugarte spared our blushes after Beto and Abdoulaye Doucoure gave the hosts a 2-0 first-half lead. United survived a last-minute penalty scare, as a push on ex-Red Ashley Young got overturned after a lengthy VAR decision.
United’s final visit to Goodison Park encapsulated everything frustrating about this transitional season – disjointed play, lack of attacking cohesion, and moments of individual quality papering over deeper issues. While the late comeback showed character, it shouldn’t mask what was largely another concerning performance.
Yet Another Awful Start
The opening 45 minutes were nothing short of abysmal. United failed to register a single shot on target and looked completely devoid of ideas. The team’s setup appeared confused, with huge gaps between defense and midfield making it impossible to progress the ball effectively. Everton’s goals from Beto and Doucoure were entirely deserved, with our defensive organisation for both leaving much to be desired – Harry Maguire and Andre Onana the chief culprits.
Hojlund cut an isolated figure up front, while even Bruno Fernandes – started as part of a front 3 with Hojlund and Zirkzee – struggled to influence proceedings.
Second Half Improvement – Eventually
While things improved after Fernandes’ excellent free-kick, we shouldn’t overstate the transformation.
Yes, there was more urgency and Ugarte’s equaliser was well taken, but we still failed to dominate possession or create many clear-cut chances. The late VAR reprieve from Ashley Young’s penalty claim was fortunate. At best, this was a spirited reaction rather than the controlled, tactical performance we need to see from a United team.
Substitutes Garnacho and Chido Obi Martin gave us extra attacking impetus late on – time for Amorim to rethink his go-to starting eleven?
Player Ratings & MOTM
Andre Onana: 5/10 – Made a few key saves but often parries back into danger, as with the second goal. Distribution also shaky
Matthijs de Ligt: 3/10 – Overwhelmed and looked out of depth throughout
Harry Maguire: 3/10 – Often failed to organise defense, mostly at fault for second goal
Noussair Mazraoui: 5/10 – Struggled before substitution for Yoro
Patrick Dorgu: 7/10 & MOTM – One of few bright spots, showed promising signs
Casemiro: 3/10 – Off the pace and misplaced several simple passes
Manuel Ugarte: 6/10 – Poor first hour but redeemed himself with equaliser
Diogo Dalot: 4/10 – Poor, threatened little and struggled defensively
Bruno Fernandes: 6/10 – Lots of mistakes especially in the first half but as is often the case, changed the game and drove the team forward to scrape a result
Joshua Zirkzee: 5/10 – Anonymous for long periods, slight improvement after the goal
Rasmus Hojlund: 2/10 – Completely ineffective, bullied by Everton defense
Substitutes:
Garnacho: 7/10 – Added much-needed spark after coming on
Leny Yoro: 6/10 – Solid after replacing struggling Mazraoui
Chido Obi-Martin: 6/10 – Showed some promising touches with a few errors too
Looking Forward
Sitting 15th in the table is obviously nowhere near good enough for Manchester United, regardless of any transition period. While Amorim deserves time to implement his ideas, we need to start seeing clearer signs of progress. His honest post-match assessment shows he understands the issues, but translating that awareness into improvement on the pitch remains the challenge.
We host Ipswich on Wednesday evening, in a game that isn’t quite a relegation ‘six-pointer’, but it’s certainly a bottom-end-of-the-table clash. There’s then a big game in the FA Cup against Fulham at Old Trafford next Sunday, as we attempt to salvage something from this wretched season.
Amorim will rightly be given more time and of course, needs his own players to suit his style. But make no mistake about it, the current level of performance at Manchester United is unsustainable.