Staff Takeaways from Manchester United’s 2-2 outing away to Everton on Sunday
Colin: Everything but the finish
Manchester United could not finish the job on Sunday.
When attacking, they couldn’t finish moves and get the ball to a player in dangerous positions. When defending a lead, they couldn’t assert control to calm the game down and push for more. When defending a lead again, they couldn’t get in front and close looks at goal in the final seconds to keep another rocket from heading into the top corner.
The Reds played well. They
put together a positive first half and twice scored goals after restarts to put themselves in front. They just didn’t have the finishing touch.
The problems up front were remedied by three creative forwards, but there is still a lack of presence in the area and around the goal. They need someone capable of making the runs. Benjamin Sesko’s return to fitness or Bryan Mbeumo’s return to the striker role could be solutions to the problem, but there is also the case of Amad missing from right wing duties. Shea Lacey may not yet be ready for that, and it doesn’t seem like Matheus Cunha at RW is something in the cards either.
Overall, though, the Reds have conceded two goals in all three matches to start the season. It’s something that may need to be addressed tactically until more personnel return to offer balance to the team.
Elliot: Back four is unstable
For the third game in a row, United conceded two goals. This time, it came against an Everton side that has struggled in attack. If conceding six goals to Hull City, Ipswich Town and Everton isn’t a sign for concern, I don’t know what else could be.
Luke Shaw surprisingly had a much better outing Sunday against Everton than he did in his first two matches at left back. He provided a few key blocks, overlaps with Rashford and successful crosses into the box — one of which Benjamin Sesko headed home with what seemed to be the winner in the 88th minute. However, Shaw and Lammens were at fault for Tyrique George’s equalizer in the 83rd minute to make it 1-1. As he’s done multiple times this season, Shaw crept too far into the middle of the box, giving George enough space to rifle one into the near-post top corner. Lammens got a hand on it, and may have been able to stop that one from going in, but ultimately it found the back of the net.
Individually, Maguire, Martinez and Dalot were subpar. As a group, they conceded too many chances to Everton. Maguire would’ve been fully at fault had Thierno Barry kept his header down in the 42nd minute — a chance that realistically should’ve ended up as an Everton goal. Dalot attempted to clear the ball out of the box in first-half stoppage time, but gave it directly to Jarrad Branthwaite who luckily shot it directly at Lammens. Later, a botched Dalot cross in the middle of the pitch left Shaw and Martinez scrambling to catch Brennan Johnson before eventually blocking it over the net.
While holding a 1-0 lead for the majority of the second half, United’s defense might’ve lacked a desire to win the ball back and keep it. Everton dominated possession while United sat back and let the pressure pile up. If they hadn’t sat back like they did for the majority of the second half, Everton simply wouldn’t have had a chance to score the screamers they did. After the equalizer, Carrick brought on Mazraoui at left back and Yoro on the right side, and it made matters worse. In the 90th minute, Mazraoui lost Tyrique George and allowed him another attempt at a near-post goal. Lammens was able to save that one, and it ended up being offside anyways. But five minutes later, with the last attack of the game and Everton’s last chance at snagging back a point, Hayden Hackney drifted past Leny Yoro with ease and left it for Dewsbury-Hall. Mazraoui attempted a clearance that ended up right at the feet of Ainsley Maitland-Niles who magically pulled out a Puskas-worthy goal to rescue Everton.
Carrick’s fullback substitutions weren’t successful, but if he had kept Dalot and Shaw on the pitch, would it have made any difference? Matthijs de Ligt may be ready to play his first game since November 2025 in the near future, but how much of a difference will he make? Should Carrick start looking into giving Ayden Heaven more game time? As a whole, no matter the defenders, it seems that Manchester United can’t stop opponents from scoring.
Vince: I agree with Elliot
Manchester United showed some encouraging signs today, but once again the biggest concern was impossible to ignore: the back line simply isn’t good enough. United can improve the midfield, create more chances and look more comfortable in possession, but none of that matters if the defense continues to look vulnerable whenever the opposition attacks with pace. The fullback positions remain the biggest concern, and it’s becoming clearer every week that United should have addressed them during the summer.
Luke Shaw can still contribute, but he no longer has the recovery speed he once did, and that becomes a problem when United push numbers forward. Diogo Dalot has similar issues on the other side, and too often the center backs are left trying to cover huge spaces when the fullbacks are caught out. Better teams will recognize this immediately. They’ll attack United out wide, force the defenders into foot races and look to exploit the space behind them.
There are positives to build on, particularly with the new-look midfield and the quality United have going forward. But the balance of the squad still doesn’t feel right. So much attention was placed on fixing the midfield this summer that the defense was almost overlooked. Unless Carrick finds a tactical solution, United could score plenty of goals this season and still drop far too many points because of what’s happening at the other end.
It’s scary to think about heading into our first Champions League match this week
