The pens are mightier than the moves
Everton created more chances, but United were spot-on from the spot
FIVE ASIDES Premier League: United 2, Everton 0
Well, at least it was a win. But, as so often this season, it was an unconvincing one. United failed to score in open play and they remained hell-bent on handing out chances. There have now been 467 attempts on André Onana’s goal in the league alone. The only team to have allowed more are Sheffield United, whose chances of being relegated, according to Opta, are now 99.6 per cent. And United are getting worse on this score: in their first 21 league games they conceded an average of 15 attempts, whereas in the past seven (starting with Wolves away) it’s been 21.
Everton were putting moves together; United were playing on the counter. It was as if Erik ten Hag, when naming an unchanged side from the one that kept City in check for 68 minutes, had forgotten to change the game plan. So United stuck to their 4-4-1-1 shape (arguably 4-6-0), with Scott McTominay sitting behind Bruno Fernandes. This turned into more of a 4-D-2 when they were on the attack, but that was never for very long.
Beating Everton used to involve Anthony Martial getting on the scoresheet. Now it involves Alejandro Garnacho getting horizontal. He didn’t try an overhead kick this time, but he did go to ground twice in the box. Both times he had clearly been clipped by a defender, although after the first contact there was a split second when you could see Garnacho wondering whether to stay on his feet. As at Goodison in November, Fernandes’ captaincy was at its best when it was put on the spot. On that occasion he handed the ball to Marcus Rashford, who needed a goal. This time he took the first pen himself and gave Rashford the second. Both scored without any fuss – Fernandes’ first goal in the league for four months, Rashford’s fifth in nine games. United’s shooting was sharper than Everton’s (8/15 shots on target, as against 6/23), but their passing was worse (81.6pc success rate, as against 84). Fernandes, though, was one of the best players on the field, along with Onana (the United one) and Jonny Evans. Being turned into a false nine has had an interesting effect on Fernandes, making him more careful and less scattergun. By his high standards it feels as if he’s only having a moderate season, but according to Sofascore, he’s been the ninth-best player in the whole Premier League, just behind Bernardo Silva and just ahead of Declan Rice.
For the first 15 minutes, Casemiro was about as bad as a top player can be. With United camped in their own half, he kept giving the ball away. The stand-out holding midfielder was James Garner, the rising star United sold when they bought Casemiro. The only job you can rely on Casemiro to do at the moment is his side hustle as an extra target man at set pieces. He and Kobbie Mainoo have been Ten Hag’s first-choice pair in the pivot since the end of January, but they're like a couple of film stars in a bad romcom – big age difference, little chemistry.
Still, United have now played three games this season against Merseyside clubs and kept three clean sheets. Now they just have to do it again next weekend in the cup. The only way you can see it happening is if Casemiro suddenly remembers how to retain possession, Mainoo plays as well at home as he regularly does away, Diogo Dalot goes on the left to smother Mo Salah, Victor Lindelof produces the performance of his life on the right to deal with Luis Diaz, and Darwin Nunez goes back to peppering Row Z. Jurgen Klopp is due a bad day against United, isn’t he?
Tim de Lisle is the editor of United Writing and a sportswriter for The Guardian. He’s been supporting United since the days of David Sadler.