Late equaliser 'a kick in the teeth' for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Man United

It is not the first time De Gea has made mistakes in the last two years and certainly not the first time against Everton

Sun, 07 Feb, 2021 - 22:30

Richard Tanner, Old Trafford

Premier League: Manchester United 3 Everton 3

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was not indulging in mind games when he dismissed Manchester United's as title contenders after they had snatched a draw from the jaws of victory.

The United manager was just being realistic about the defensive lapses that continue to undermine his team's attempts to find the consistency that is the basic requirement for any potential champions.

While United are the Premier League's top scorers with 49 goals, they are not in even in the top 10 when it comes to the best defence.

Their tally of 30 is 17 more than leaders Manchester City [before City's game at Anfield] and they have managed to keep only eight clean sheets in 23 League fixtures this season.

Eighteen of the goals have come in 12 games at Old Trafford, already one more than they conceded in the entire 19-match home schedule last season.

They are particularly vulnerable from set-pieces and it was no surprise that Dominic Calvert-Lewin's last-gasp equaliser - described as "like a kick in the teeth" by a deflated Solskjaer - came from a free-kick pumped into the penalty area by Lucas Digne that United failed to clear.

Goalkeeper David De Gea is again under scrutiny after he was accused of not being brave enough by former United defender and Sky TV pundit Gary Neville for that goal. And earlier the Spaniard was at fault for Everton's first goal when he weakly pushed out Calvert-Lewin's low cross to present Abdoulaye Doucoure an easy tap-in.

It is not the first time De Gea has made mistakes in the last two years and certainly not the first time against Everton. Last season he gifted them a goal at Goodison Park when his clearance was charged down by Calvert-Lewin and he was also at fault for their goal at Old Trafford when he flapped at a corner.

No 2 keeper Dean Henderson has been used in the domestic cup competitions this season and will play in the FA Cup fifth-round home tie against West Ham tomorrow but there is a growing feeling among United followers that he should now replace De Gea as No 1 on a permanent basis.

Solskjaer, of course, is not the sort of manager to throw a player under a bus and refused to single out De Gea but he was angry at the manner of the goals conceded and delivered a veiled warning that no player's place is safe.

“We've got good competition for places in the squad and every player has to earn the right to play," he said. "That applies to absolutely every one of them.

"I wouldn't blame anyone for the goals but we know we could have done better as a team to defend all of them. They were poor goals. We should have played out the final minute better. We should have taken the ball down into the corner."

And that is why when pressed about their title hopes Solskjaer made it clear his team have to tighten up at the back to have any chance of overhauling their neighbours.

"We are not talking about winning title here," he added. "This team has come a long way but we shouldn't even be considered as title chasers. That's more media talk.

We've got to be better as a team and then let's see where we end up. Going forward we're very good but we've got to stop conceding easy goals.

Long before the added time equaliser, United's defensive vulnerability had been laid bare by the way they let a 2-0 half-time lead - courtesy of Edinson Cavani's header and Bruno Fernandes sublime long-range strike - slip away in the first seven minutes of the second half, thanks to Doucoure's tap-in and James Rodriguez's well-taken goal.

When Scott McTominay headed United back in front they should have seen the game out to give Solskjaer the victory he had demanded on the 63rd anniversary of the Munich air disaster but it was Everton boss Carlo Ancelotti who was left feeling like a winner.

Ancelotti had accused his side of lacking "spirit" in the defeat to Newcastle a week earlier but was full of praise for the way his team have bounced back with the draw at Old Trafford following the midweek win at Leeds.

"When you score with the last kick of the game you are a bit lucky but I think we deserved the luck. We were too shy in the first half but I told my players at half-time to play with more courage and that's what we did in the second half - we pressed forward and attacked more.

“I am proud of my team. We are not at the same level as them but we showed we could compete against one of the best teams in the Premier League.”

MAN UTD (4-2-3-1): De Gea 4; Wan-Bissaka 6, Lindelof 5, Maguire 5, Shaw 7; McTominay 7, Pogba 5 (Fred 38, 6); Greenwood 6 (Tuanzebe 90), Fernandes 8, Rashford 7; Cavani 7.

Subs not used: Henderson, Martial, James, Telles, Matic, Williams, Van De Beek.

EVERTON (4-3-3): Olsen 5; Holgate 6, Keane 7, Godfrey 6, Digne 7; Doucoure 7 (King 81, 5), Gomes 6, Davies 6 (Iwobi 75, 5); James 6 (Sigurdsson 69, 5), Richarlison 7, Calvert-Lewin 8.

Subs not used: Viriginia, Delph, Mina, Nkounkou, Bernard, Coleman.

Referee: John Moss 6.