Man Utd news: Shocking Red Devils sneak undeserved draw at Everton
A shocking Manchester United side somehow came from two goals down to sneak an undeserved 2-2 draw with Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday.
The abject display by the Red Devils was a new low in what has been a season of historical lows.
Everton, on the other hand, will be disappointed that they let the victory slip against such woeful opposition, but they nevertheless continue their resurgence under returning manager David Moyes.
Sports News Blitz writer Robert Bore picks through another turd of a performance from Ruben Amorim and his witless wonders.
Ghost of David Moyes
I purposely left any preparation for this game until late. Well, purposely in that I had an early-morning flight to catch on Sunday and needed to start packing.
But I did have an ulterior motive: unconscious bias. Or, more likely, conscious bias.
For the uninitiated, unconscious bias is roughly described as making a judgment or a decision on someone or something based on assumptions and stereotypes without being aware of it.
Conscious bias, by contrast, is being biased while knowing it.
And my first conscious thought in the lead-up to this game, despite United's many foibles this season, was actually David Moyes.
Not David Moyes the Everton manager or even David Moyes the man. No – David Moyes the Manchester United manager and, specifically, David Moyes the Manchester United manager on February 9th, 2014.
United hosted a rock-bottom Fulham side that day and were held 2-2.
With the rookie 6ft 7in Dan Burn in their defensive ranks, United proceeded to pump 81 crosses through the Old Trafford air and into the Fulham box. Eighty one. Burn headed more than 20 of them clear himself.
Such an experience left a deep impression that, even after all these years, still symbolises the septic era of post–Sir Alex Ferguson United.
And so, with Everton seemingly on the up since Moyes' return to Merseyside and bolstered by a good run of form plus a shiny new stadium, it was naturally primed for another United sh*tshow.
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Toffees get off to a good start
Things looked terrible for United right from the first whistle.
Beto had the best chance early on, heading straight at Andre Onana under pressure from Matthijs de Ligt, as Everton were understandably on it.
United new-boy Patrick Dorgu, fed by Bruno Fernandes, then did well and slid a low ball into the near post that Jordan Pickford cleared.
And then – of course – it happened.
After a bout of Sunday League head tennis, United attempted to clear the ball maybe six or seven times before it naturally fell to the in-form Beto, who managed to sweep the ball past Onana in front of the Gwladys Street end.
A three-minute VAR check could not save the visitors and Beto, the hot hand, had made it a goal in each of his last four Premier League games, having stood pretty much on his own in the middle of our box.
Sigh.
There were, thankfully, some bright spots on show, such as Dorgu's encouraging surges down the left backed by Fernandes' vision, but Everton were hungry and keen.
After half an hour, the Reds had not managed so much as a shot.
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Woeful Red Devils fall further behind
These days, in a story about United, the darkness usually snuffs out the light.
United were mugged on the break before Onana did well to save from a Jack Harrison shot into the ground, but he pushed the ball skywards like a volleyball player setting up the spike and – as Harry Maguire stood concrete-booted waiting for the ball to come out of the Goodison sky – Abdoulaye Doucoure leapt through the air and nodded home.
Amorim's men were two-down away from home with 32 minutes on the clock.
Surely not, you think incredulously, but it almost looked as if tools had been downed by the players.
The visitors had no legs in midfield and no energy. They were harried and chased, invariably folding like a deck of cheap cards when pressured.
Ugarte, back after injury, tried to curl a 25-yarder home when he had the big lads waiting at the far post. Joshua Zirkzee headed over tamely from the resulting corner six minutes into added time.
Dorgu then won a dangerous free-kick after getting in smartly behind Jake O'Brien on another dangerous foray forward, but Fernandes' cross was easily dealt with.
Everton could even have made it three in the dying moments, United surviving as Noussair Mazraoui slid across to clear.
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United struggle to spark
It was yet another first-half blank from United thanks to some insipid and insulting football.
Although it was, amazingly, the first time that United had found themselves two goals behind in an away league game this season, the Evertonians had only lost one of their last 25 when two-up at the break.
As if to rub salt into an old wound, Moyes brought on Ashley Young after 54 minutes. The veteran was, after all, responsible for a decent portion of those 81 crosses against the Cottagers 11 years ago.
The substitution almost felt symbolic – and not in a good way.
Everton were more than comfortable in the early stages of the second half and, as usual, my Bet Builder was about to be gazumped on the hour as Amorim got the dice out and looked at Alejandro Garnacho.
Ugarte was evidently not at the races, averaging tackles aplenty per game since his arrival but without a single one up to that point in the game.
Kobbie Mainoo and Amad Diallo were also dearly missed as the club's main creative forces this season.
Doucoure was subsequently denied his second from dead centre of the box after starting and almost finishing a move.
The sum of United's attacking threat, with 20 minutes remaining, was two shots off target and an xG of 0.03. Absolutely superb stuff.
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Double strike sees visitors draw level
Hojlund was taken off for young striker Chido Obi-Martin while Leny Yoro replaced Mazraoui and moments later United were back in the game.
Skipper Fernandes, who came into the clash with five league goals and five assists against Everton – his most against any Premier League side – was the man for the moment, hammering a free-kick into Pickford's left corner.
His side hardly deserved to be only a goal adrift but gift horses are not looked at in the mouth. It was game on and suddenly there was some urgency and belief for those in red.
And that belief turned into an equaliser with 10 minutes left.
Fernandes floated a free-kick over to the far post that was cleared by Beto, but the clearance fell to Ugarte on the edge of the box and he chested it down before half-volleying the ball past Pickford for his first goal in United colours.
Suddenly Everton looked done, Garnacho's arrival injecting the required threat.
Beto then headed into Onana's arms at one end and Fernandes saw his effort tipped over by Pickford as the clock crept towards 90.
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Spoils shared at Goodison Park
Five minutes of added time were indicated – hero time or villain time?
Onana was almost the latter as he parried Idrissa Gueye's shot back into danger rather than to safety.
Maguire, if we are being honest, looked to have a loose hand on that wily old fox Young and maybe De Ligt had a bit of blue shirt, but the former United man did his best Tom Daley and swan-dived to the floor.
A penalty was awarded. Moyes’ redemption was incoming.
But the gods smiled on United and, after a VAR intervention, the ref changed his mind.
As always, it was unnecessary turmoil from Amorim’s beleaguered side.
A late United corner was then scrambled clear and the referee ended proceedings before another could be taken.
United had somehow scraped a draw after a good 25 minutes, leaving everyone in red breathless and relieved.
With that said, what came before was truly abysmal and a massive worry.
There was a distinct lack of fight and effort, not to mention a lot of chasing their tails, until a moment of inspiration from the skipper. Sigh, again.
Right, where is my passport?
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