- PLUS: The one United player who is standing out for all the wrong reasons
- Join Mail+ for more exclusive scoops, in-depth reporting and analysis from across the world of football
Manchester United’s comeback at Goodison only papered over the cracks.
For 70 minutes, they were devoid of ideas with the ball and unable – or unwilling – to follow the head coach’s game plan defensively.
Ruben Amorim is only lucky in two respects.
Firstly, because last season’s promoted teams Southampton, Leicester and Ipswich are that bad, United aren’t in serious relegation bother as they would be in a normal season.
And secondly, he has Bruno Fernandes in his team – the only player who looks capable of cresting or scoring to give United a chance of picking up points.
Even so, if they continue to play like this for the rest of the season, the head coach is going to come under pressure.
Ruben Amorim is lucky Manchester United aren’t serious relegation contenders this season
United were devoid of ideas and unable, or unwilling, to follow Amorim’s plan against Everton
United have regressed and they were too easy to play against in the Goodison Park bearpit
As regular readers will know, I was never convinced Erik ten Hag was the answer so it’s saying something that, since Amorim has walked in the door, United have regressed rather than progressed. He’s been at Old Trafford long enough that we should be seeing something.
Everton were very good with Goodison the bearpit of old. But it doesn’t excuse the visitors’ shortcomings.
They were miles off it and so easy to play against. They continually tried to play out from the back even though they kept on losing it that way – no variation to the game plan.
United’s players were confused. It was hard to know if they didn’t understand what the manager wanted from them or didn’t agree with it.
I suspect we’re at the stage where it’s both. They are going onto the pitch with a negative outlook because results are not convincing them the 3-4-3 and Amorim-ball is the right way forward.
Either way, they are not on board and so many are struggling individually, notably Rasmus Hojlund.
And they were not picking up Everton’s players, including out wide.
If it hadn’t been for a mistake by Jordan Pickford at 2-0, they’d have left Merseyside with precisely what they deserved – nothing.
If it hadn’t been for Jordan Pickford’s mistake at 2-0, United would have left with nothing
Just three months into his United career, Amorim is already hurtling towards crisis point
The lack of intensity would have been alarming if I’d been connected with the club. It was insane at this level.
Too many players are not comfortable being asked to fit in positionally where they are being instructed to.
Three months into his United career, Amorim is already hurtling towards crisis point. Something has to change and it’s got to come from him.
