FIVE ASIDES Premier League: United 2, Everton 0
This was both a routine victory and a significant one. It was United’s 17th league win of the season, which is one more than they managed in the whole of 2021/22. Under Erik ten Hag they have won 17 out of 29; under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick (plus a classy interregnum from Michael Carrick) it was 16 out of 38, so the win percentage has leapt from 42 to 58. Even when depleted by injuries, they have kept doing enough to stay on course for the top four. They have just one glaring weakness: they’re hopeless away from home against clubs that are supposed to be their equals. Of the 37 goals they’ve conceded in the league, 25 have come in only six games – seven at Liverpool, six at City, four at Brentford, three each at Arsenal and Villa, and two at Newcastle. If United can raise their game at those grounds next season the way they did at Camp Nou in February, they will be title contenders. From what we know of Ten Hag, he’ll spend his summer holiday trying to crack that nut.
Against Everton, United’s build-up was better than ever. The makeshift midfield that had got by against Brentford – McFern, anyone? – managed to dominate the match and dish up chance after chance. While Scott McTominay was having his most accomplished league game for ages, Bruno Fernandes ran the show, taking more touches than anyone else (119), only one short of his personal best in 172 appearances for United. He was two players in one here, understudying both Casemiro (the holding midfielder who mainly holds back) and Christian Eriksen (the one who brings most of the vision). When Eriksen himself returned to a warm ovation, Fernandes headed out to the right wing, another of the five positions he has in his locker. That versatility comes from being a student of the game, knowing what’s needed in different roles and having the talent and discipline to adapt to them. On every front except the diplomatic one, Fernandes has had a phenomenal season.
Jordan Pickford was playing a blinder, but even so United’s shooting was shoddy. Sometimes it was a case of the wrong man being in the right place at the right time: anyone but Aaron Wan-Bissaka would surely have done better with the near-open goal that beckoned after Antony’s shot had hit the post. At other times, United used all their composure in the build-up, then fluffed the finishing touch. If Everton had been playing like this at the Etihad, City would have been 6-0 up at half-time. As it was United were 1-0 up, after taking 21 shots. It was hard to know whether to cheer the creativity or boo the profligacy.
They created so many chances by playing two brands of football at the same time. They kept up the quick short passing that had bamboozled Brentford and added long balls from deep that sailed over Everton’s self-defeating high line. Each brand eventually produced a goal. The first was drilled in at close range by McTominay as he ran onto Jadon Sancho’s cute little through ball after some tenacious work by Marcus Rashford, doing better than usual in heavy traffic. The second began with a long pass from Lisandro Martinez, who loves to go perpendicular. It should have been comfortably cut out by Seamus Coleman but he got in a tangle and ended up holding the door open for Rashford. His simple square ball found Anthony Martial, who coolly put his shot past Jordan Pickford, showing United’s first-half marksmen how it’s done. And then Rashford went off with what looked very much like a groin strain. Ten Hag was quick to blame the schedule, which has certainly been relentless; but then so has he. Some people were saying that Rashford was an injury waiting to happen three weeks ago.
Back in the first few weeks for the season, Harry Maguire was a talisman in reverse. Up to and including the day the Queen died, United lost the three games he started (two of them at home) and won the other four. Since then Maguire has been a talisman turned the right way round: he has started ten club games and United have won the lot. Only three have been in the league and all ten have been relatively easy, but Maguire has been doing almost all that has been asked of him. He has been more like his England self, bringing the ball into midfield, looking for that long lofted ball to the left wing. In defence, he’s been solid but less serene: often there’s been a moment of panic, with United getting carved open in a way that doesn’t happen when Rapha Varane is there (except at Anfield). In the awkward role of the bit-part captain, Maguire has been dignified and determined. But he will probably still pack his bags in the summer, because he’s too big to be on the bench, while not being quite good enough for the big games.
Tim de Lisle is the editor of United Writing and a sportswriter for The Guardian. If you’re on Twitter, do follow him and United Writing. If you received this piece by email, please feel free to forward it to any fellow supporters.