John O’Shea has insisted that Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim “had nothing else to lose” with one option that he didn’t tap into against Everton.
Ruben Amorim’s men returned to action on Monday evening and Manchester United suffered a shock Premier League defeat in the post-November international break.
Ruben Amorim possession problems
Manchester United average 1.73 points per game in matches with less than 50% possession, and just 0.79 points with more than 50% possession.
Manchester United wins vs losses based on possession.
David Moyes engineered a stunning upset over his former side, with Everton playing the majority of the match with 10 men after midfielder Idrissa Gueye was sent off.
Despite Idrissa Gueye’s straight red card for his incident with teammate Michael Keane, Everton stunned United in the first half at Old Trafford by taking the lead.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall scored a stunning strike from the edge of the box and Senne Lammens was unable to keep out the effort, despite getting a touch on the ball.
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Ruben Amorim appears dejected as he reacts on the touchline during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Everton at Old Trafford in 2025 in Manchester, England.
Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images
John O’Shea reacts to Ruben Amorim not using Man Utd talent Shea Lacey against Everton at Old Trafford
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s first-half opener was enough to seal all three Premier League points for Everton manager David Moyes on Monday evening.
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Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim only made three changes in the second half when the Red Devils were in pursuit of a crucial equaliser against the Toffees.
The 40-year-old Portuguese coach brought on Kobbie Mainoo, Mason Mount and Diogo Dalot, but United winger Shea Lacey was left on the bench.
What did you think of Ruben Amorim’s post-game comments after the loss to Everton?
“I feel afraid of returning of this feeling of last season, that is my biggest concern. So we need to work together, we are going to work together.”
Former United defender John O’Shea believes that Amorim should have turned to Shea Lacey, even if it meant throwing the 18-year-old talent into the deep end.
“And listen, he could have brought one of the centre-backs off and put on another, dropped one of the midfielders back in and sort of give young Shea Lacey a go at it,” he told talkSPORT.
“I know it wouldn’t have been an ideal scenario to bring a young kid onto the pitch like that, but at least he would have had a freshness and a rawness about him that he might have been able to create something because that’s what the kid is all about.”
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John O’Shea’s stance on Shea Lacey after Ruben Amorim’s Man Utd side lost in their Premier League match to Everton
Shea Lacey has been at Old Trafford for his entire United career so far and the Red Devils prospect was called up to the first team for Monday’s Premier League clash.
O’Shea, who lifted five Premier League titles with United, believes that Lacey could have added an attacking dynamic that the Red Devils were sorely missing.
“And, hopefully, [Lacey is] going to be about creating goals and being a very attack-minded player,” he continued.
“So maybe give him that opportunity last night because you had nothing else to lose.”
The Red Devils are 10th in the Premier League table after United’s defeat to Everton, with the Toffees in 11th place and level on points with Amorim’s side.