Everton torment for Man United
But this emphatic reverse may yet prove just as fatal to Louis van Gaal’s hopes of bringing Champions League football to the club in his first season in charge.
On one of their least favourite grounds of recent years, United slumped to fourth in the table after a miserable defensive performance, still seven points better placed than Liverpool but having played a game more and with a top-four finish no longer the formality it appeared at Easter.
For that more than anything else, perhaps United can blame the loss of the injured Michael Carrick, one of those key figures whose true value to a team is never appreciated until he is absent, but the lack of discipline shown by United, especially in defence, was something that Moyes’ successor appeared to have largely stamped out.
“I think so, yes,” said van Gaal when asked if it was the most disappointing performance of his reign. “It was the first time that I see that our motivation, inspiration, aggression was not as high as the opponent.
“I already had the feeling, as did my colleagues Ryan Giggs and Albert Stuivenberg, because warming up was not as good as usual. Then you say that in the last minute before kick-off, you hope that you can recover that and stimulate your players but then it’s too late.”
Just five minutes had gone when Gareth Barry cleared a Juan Mata ball into the Everton area, launching a devastating counter-attack which saw Seamus Coleman hare into the opposite box where his cross deflected into the path of James McCarthy off the leg of Paddy McNair.
The Everton midfielder maintained admirable balance and composure in beating McNair in the challenge and burying an impressive finish past David de Gea, hardly a surprising start to proceedings given United’s record of having won just one of their previous six Goodison visits.
United enjoyed a spell of intense pressure thereafter but failed to cope with a run of three consecutive Everton corners after 34 minutes, the last of which saw Leighton Baines pick out John Stones and the England defender steer a brilliant header to the far post where it flew into the goal off Ashley Young’s attempted clearance.
In between the two goals, within minutes of the first in fact, former Evertonian Marouane Fellaini had been gifted a brilliant opportunity to equalise, dispossessing Barry and advancing unmarked into the area from where he curled a poor effort high and wide.
It summed up a frustrating afternoon for the Belgian international, who had been warned to keep his cool by van Gaal before the game but who was cautioned for a challenge on Ross Barkley after just 12 minutes and was sensibly substituted at the interval as the manager threw on Radamel Falcao in a bid to save the game.
“There were several reasons I brought him off,” said van Gaal. “The first was he was booked and I found that the Everton players provoked him and I was not so sure that he would end the match. Also, because of the score at half-time, but of course I could have changed even more players.”
The aim of saving the game had long since failed by the time Everton substitute Kevin Mirallas completed the rout after 74 minutes in bizarre fashion as Barkley’s pass flew over the heads of a static United back four and Romelu Lukaku, clearly offside, momentarily gave chase.
The Everton forward had the presence to stop in his tracks, mindful he would otherwise have been interfering with play, allowing Mirallas to advance and beat de Gea with an impressively calm and collected finish.
Thereafter, Mirallas might have made the scoreline even more embarrassing, bursting across the face of the United area before unleashing a 20-yard shot which was saved magnificently by de Gea, but given United’s difficulties in finishing, one goal would always have been enough for victory, let alone three.
“Today you saw two teams trying to win and going eye to eye over 90 minutes,” said Everton manager Roberto Martinez. “We were the better side in every department and well worth the clean sheet and well worth the three points. We’ve learned some tough lessons this season but today we performed in a very strong manner.”
Howard 7; Coleman 7, Stones 8, Jagielka 7, Baines 7; Barry 7, McCarthy 9; Lennon 7, Barkley 7 (Naismith 87), Osman 7 (Mirallas 68, 8); Lukaku 7 (Kone 87). Subs (not used) Robles, Besic, Garbutt, Alcaraz.
De Gea 6; Valencia 5, Smalling 7, McNair 5, Shaw 5; Mata 5 (Di Maria 63, 6), Herrera 6, Blind 6, Young 7; Fellaini 5 (Falcao 46, 6); Rooney 6 (van Persie 87). Subs (not used) Valdes, Januzaj, Blackett, Pereira.
A Marriner 6
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