Far from ‘hot’ off the back of last weekends’ underwhelming 0-0 draw at home to Brentford and staring down the barrel of what could be a very long run of games. It’s going to test even the most optimistic Evertonian, it’s going to challenge even the staunchest Dyche defender and yet, might there be light at the end of that tunnel?
Rumblings growing louder and more frequent this past week that the takeover of The Friedkin Group from current owner Farhad Moshiri is set to still be approved before mid-December. With the latest news suggesting TFG already has a new board ‘waiting in the wings’. So whilst we prepare for the worst on the pitch over the next few games, we might be able to start speculating and dreaming of better times off it.
Before we dive in, it’s important to be balanced and not set a negative tone. We’ve had memorable moments against this weekends’ opponents, who hardly had much of a bounce under their new manager last weekend. It will be important to take Everton on a ‘game by game’ basis in the coming weeks. Let’s see where we end up…
If You Know Your History… Everton v Manchester United Through the Years
In recent meetings, Everton have not had the best showings against Manchester United. In fact, Sunday’s hosts have won their last 5 meetings against the Toffees in both league and FA Cup action. Anthony Gordon was the hero back in 2022, when Frank Lampard’s Everton managed a 1-0 win at Goodison in the midst of a relegation battle. And it was Rafa Benitez’s Everton who last took points from Old Trafford. Andros Townsend scoring in a 1-1 draw.
You have to head back to the 4th of December 2013 to find the last time Everton took all 3 points away from Old Trafford. Bryan Oviedo scoring a rare goal to see Everton manager Roberto Martinez guide his side to a rare win away at Manchester United, who were managed at the time time by his predecessor David Moyes.
Personally, my favourite memory of facing Manchester United has to be the FA Cup Semi-Final in 2009. The penalty shoot-out is something I rewatch on an almost regular basis. Tim Howard making 2 fine saves and Phil Jagielka providing a magical moment at Wembley.
Overall, the stats more than favour the home side heading into this one. The Toffees have won 71 times in fixtures dating back to 1892. Whereas Manchester United have bested us 95 times in all competitions. We’ve drawn on 47 occasions.
Team News
Sean Dyche confirmed that Seamus Coleman is back in training but is unlikely to feature on Sunday. Amando Broja and Youssef Chermiti featured for the U21 on Friday, Broja is the more likely of the two to feature at Old Trafford. Elsewhere James Garner and Tim Iroegbunham remain sidelined with injuries.
Johnny Evans will be assessed for the hosts after missing Man Utd’s Europa League game on Thursday. Fellow defenders Harry Maguire and Lisandro Martinez could feature after returning to first team training.
What the Managers Say
Dyche on facing Everton’s upcoming fixtures- “You’ve got to play them all. The fixtures have given us this run and it’s a tough run, but everything’s tough in the Premier League. We’ve shown before that we can take these teams on and that’s what we’ve got to do again”
Ruben Amorin on fixture congestion and facing Everton- “Yeah, it is what it is. We will rotate players and we will be ready. Today we have to use like four subs to manage the fitness, not the game, we managed the fitness today and we have to do it. We already know it will be like that; no excuses and we should be ready for Sunday. We have to win”
Everton Key Player
Jordan Pickford – 4 consecutive clean sheets for club and country. It’s a much needed streak to protect heading into this run of fixtures. Pickford has once again answered his critics and shown time after time that he will keep you in more games than he will cost you. England & Everton’s Number 1 is going to be called upon a lot over the coming weeks and him being in form and full of confidence is no bad thing. Do I see him keeping a clean-sheet again this weekend? Possibly not. However, I am confident he will show in key moments why he is the best keeper in England and one of the best keepers in the Premier League.
One to Watch for Manchester United:
Marcus Rashford– I’ve said this on a few occasions for a few teams we’ve faced this season, but Manchester United don’t impress me in terms of the squad that they have. In terms of ‘ones to watch’, you could make a case for Bruno Fernandes, who has appeared to be a thorn in Everton’s side in recent meetings. You could also argue that their goalkeeper might frustrate us, putting in a good showing last weekend against Ipswich. I’ve chosen to highlight Rashford. He got his goal last weekend and has often shown his better attributes in the early days of a new manager. I expect him to lead the line for United and for him to see more than his fair share of chances.
Final Thoughts
There is a point to be taken this weekend, if Everton are organised and composed enough to take it. Manchester United are far from the finished product the new coach will want them to be. They are also coming off the back of a mid-week Europa League game. On the other side, one of the very few positives to be taken from Everton right now is their defensive form. They are tough to break down, they seem to have cut out errors from earlier in the season and whilst they aren’t scoring goals they are able to grind out results. As I said earlier, it will be important to take this run ‘game by game’ and in isolation, this game isn’t a definite defeat. Let’s just hope the players get that memo.
Prediction
1-1. It’s going to be harder in the coming weeks to be optimistic when making score predictions, so I thought I’d get away with it while I can. Ruben Amorim has made it clear that he will play his system, even if he does not have the players to play it. They showed promising signs early against Ipswich but ultimately couldn’t get the job done. They now come up against a resilient and defensive Everton side in front of an expectant home crowd. I fancy Dyche’s side to frustrate Amorim. Perhaps a point is on the cards.
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