22 February 2025
Everton 2 Man Utd 2
David Moyes has returned to Goodison Park like a long-awaited messiah. The fans were drawn on the appointment but having seen him turn The Toffees into one of the form teams in the Premier League, everyone now believed it was the right choice. They welcomed Man Utd to Goodison Park, potentially one of the most disjointed sides in the top-flight currently.
While everyone is slating the Red Devils weekly at the moment, we need to focus on the sterling work they are doing to save the planet. Their performances are so dire this season, that their fans are turning off their televisions with only twenty minutes of the game played. Man Utd fans are no longer bragging about their dominance of the Premier League, now it is all about how they are reducing their carbon footprints like some Manc Greta Thunberg.
Ruben Amorim at the start of this season was one of the hottest properties in world football. His future looked brighter than the US bomb dropped on Hiroshima. Fast forward three months into his new job, whenever the camera pans onto him, he looks like he is contemplating a trip to Dignitas. He looks dishevelled, worn down and constantly questioning his life choices.
The Toffees had the first glimpse of goal as a cross picked out Beto in the box. Sadly for the hosts his connection was weak and straight at Onana. Even the calamity-riddled keeper would struggle not to keep that effort out. However, the chance seemed to spur the home faithful as they turned Goodison Park into a cauldron of noise.
Man Utd were struggling to keep the hosts out from the off in this game. As a corner came in, it was a melee of missed clearances, along with the ball bouncing off players like some human pinball game. It finally dropped to Beto who struck his shot into the ground, leaving Onana baffled. Dreadful defending from Amorim’s side, who may strike a sponsorship deal with Comedy Central next season.
The Red Devils’ manager must wake up every morning with a daily ritual of firstly checking his phone, hoping for that text message telling him he has been sacked. This current Man Utd squad is not good for anyone’s health. Many managers have tried to turn them into a football team, every one of them has failed. By far the worst Old Trafford side for some thirty years or so.
As Everton continued to press, a shot straight at Onana was parried into the air in front of him. Maguire stood there staring at the ball, transfixed with how nice it looked against the blue sky background as Doucoure came flying through the air to head home. All over the country, TVs were being switched off as men invited their partners out for a day of shopping.
At this point, you wondered just how many goals Everton would score. Pickford could have watched the first-half from the stands, the visitors gave him nothing to do whatsoever. As the teams headed in at the interval, many pondered where Amorim’s mental breaking point was. He must be tempted by now to scrap the team talks and just burst into the dressing room swinging haymakers everywhere.
With half an hour to play and the visitors having failed to register a single shot on target, trying to place a bet on anything other than an Everton win was likely to get you sectioned. With Rasmus no goals leading the line, even the most blinkered Red Devils’ fan was not expecting anything other than another defeat and questions post-match whether they could be dragged into a relegation battle.
O’Brien got down the flank for the hosts and put a quality cross into the box. Doucoure met it on the half-volley but was denied his brace by an acrobatic save from Onana in the bottom corner. The Red Devils’ keeper even made sure he clawed it well away from goal in the process. Sadly, the good pieces of goalkeeping seem to surprise all the more than the calamities nowadays.
On a rare attack forward, Garnacho cut inside from the flank before being bundled over. Fernandes’ free-kick struck the wall but it was adjudged to have been handled. It gave the Portuguese midfielder a second chance to make something happen. He curled his next attempt into the far corner, with Pickford rooted to the spot. It was a superb strike by Man Utd’s skipper.
Suddenly, the visitors had a glimmer of hope of getting something from this game. They had not deserved to be in such a position, their performance had warranted a hiding from Moyes’ side. But that is the danger at this level, if you do not put teams away, this league has a habit of coming back to bite you when you least expect it.
The Toffees seemed to take inspiration from the visitors as they displayed some lacklustre defending. Man Utd were hitting hopeful balls into the box with no intended target. As Beto’s weak header failed to clear it, it dropped to Ugarte on the edge of the box. His volley went through a sea of players, leaving Pickford unsighted until it was too late.
Somehow, the visitors had got themselves back on level terms in the game. The goals seemed to shatter the confidence of The Toffees. It was backs against the wall stuff as Man Utd strived to find a winner. Their shooting was wayward and they failed to ask any questions of the Everton keeper. At this point, you felt there was still another goal to come in this game.
Moyes’ side broke forward and as the visitors struggled to clear their lines, Young went tumbling to the floor and the referee immediately pointed to the penalty spot. Goodison Park erupted once again. Deep into stoppage time, a goal now would no doubt win the game. VAR reviewed it and sent the official to the monitor who opted to reverse his decision.
The sides shared the points and Everton were left with a bitter taste from that late decision. Having seen the replay, despite there being a genuine shirt pull, the fact Young threw himself to the floor like a member of Diversity seemed to cost The Toffees. Man Utd can certainly count themselves lucky in this one, they stole a point that their performance had not warranted.
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