Manchester United, an unlikely comeback and a search for existence

New York Times

23-02-2025

Such was Everton's sense of superiority amid Manchester United's dishevelment at the break on Saturday that Derek Mountfield, a former favourite at Goodison Park, felt entitled to wave a few pretend elbows at the visiting players as they made their way out for the second half.
Mountfield, who won two First Division titles, an FA Cup, and a Cup Winners' Cup as an Everton centre-back, had been on the pitch at half-time to get inducted as an 'Everton Giant' and was walking off as United's team emerged from the tunnel after an animated dressing-room plea from Ruben Amorim.
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Bruno Fernandes took exception to Mountfield's actions, which seemed designed to endear him to those in the crowd revelling in United's reduced status, and told him firmly to show more respect. Mountfield, 62, responded by questioning, with a scattering of expletives, who Fernandes even was.
Fernandes was able to answer that particular jibe with a free kick which clawed his team back into the game, but their half-time encounter feels emblematic of United's position in the Premier League food chain right now: vulnerable and there to be mocked.
Amorim delivered his own withering assessment in the post-match press conference, saying United didn't 'exist' in the opening period, and that was an apt description given the way his players had let the game happen to them. They were reactive rather than proactive.
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More than once that passivity slipped into calamity.
The first such instance happened inside five minutes, when Diogo Dalot sliced the ball in comical fashion and seconds later it pinged back off Casemiro's face. A short time later, after Noussair Mazraoui had returned from going off for treatment, he went for the same high ball as Harry Maguire and received a quizzical look from his team-mate in return. Everton built a move that ended with Beto testing Andre Onana with a header. It was not the last time United players got in each others' way with the ball in the air.
Everton's first goal was the nadir for that curios theme of United's display. Those in red had eight chances to clear the ball but failed. The second goal was even more shambolic, with a simple pass down the flank opening up a two-on-one for Everton and Onana only pushing Jack Harrison's shot into the air. Maguire could have cleared but waited for the ball to drop allowing Abdoulaye Doucoure to seize the initiative. To echo Amorim's point, it was as if United's defence was not there.
'Going down, going down, going down,' rang round Goodison Park. It was only semi-farcical, with United on course for 42 points at the rate of Amorim's reign. West Ham were relegated on that total in 2002-03.
United were playing frightened football. Amorim spread his arms wide in frustration when Casemiro punted the ball long. Dalot overhit a pass back at a Fernandes corner, forcing Patrick Dorgu to slide in to stop an Everton counter.
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Later, when Dorgu was out wide in space, Casemiro gave a pass to Matthijs de Ligt rather than play it straight to the young wing-back, who had his hands out imploring to receive it. The away fans nearby voiced their irritation and chanted, 'attack, attack, attack' in that way that implies their team had been doing the exact opposite.
The player leading the attack was suffering a loss of confidence and connection, however. In one of his better moments, Rasmus Hojlund ran into the box but he then checked back rather than shoot. Manuel Ugarte followed suit, turning and passing in retreat to Maguire, but under-hitting and only reaching Beto. Maguire had to stretch round to win ball, a promising position having been turned into a dangerous one through the choices of United players in a kind of reverse alchemy.
At half-time, Amorim was 'very upset', according to Fernandes. The United head coach explained: 'We lost a lot of balls without any pressure. We have free men, sometimes we don't respect the positioning and anyone who watched a little bit of Everton in this field, they will be really good on second balls. The two goals are second balls, fighting in the air. That's why you get disappointed. We didn't play first half. But it's a good thing that in the second half they play in the same position with more energy, more quality and that makes the difference.'
Rather than make changes, Amorim reminded his players to do the things they had practised during the week, although the flow of the game only really altered when Fernandes curled in his free kick, United's first shot on target. Their first attempt of any description was one by Ugarte from range on 42 minutes which went wide.
By the time of United's goal, Hojlund had been replaced by Chido Obi for his second senior appearance, and the 17-year-old showed a spark that has sadly been diminished in his fellow Dane. Obi also dropped into the space between defence and midfield, with Everton's centre-backs unwilling to follow, thus giving United room to build attacks.
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Joshua Zirkzee began to win his dribbling duels and Alejandro Garnacho, off the bench for Casemiro with Fernandes dropping deeper, gave United more direct running.
United's biggest threat in that aspect of the game was Dorgu, though. It was striking how frequently United's players looked for him from kick-off, feeling he could be trusted to control the ball and carry it forwards. He touched the ball 89 times, second only to Fernandes (109) of all players, and was fouled five times — three more than anybody else. His skill for getting his body in the way of opponent and ball is clear, and either he is able to dribble away or they bring him down.
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Relying so much on a 20-year-old playing his third game in England is a little out of kilter with best practice — albeit a further sign of the issues inherent in this team.
United could have won the game late on, but they also could easily have lost had referee Andy Madley stuck by his call to award a penalty for a foul on Ashley Young. United fans are familiar with Young's expertise in falling, and the contact from Maguire and De Ligt was minimal, but it was still a surprise to see VAR intervene.
Players clashed after the final whistle and in the tunnel Maguire had it out with Young, his former United and England team-mate. At least that was proof of existence. Making it meaningful feels a long way off.