United supporters are perfectly entitled to be unhappy with four points from their opening three games. But some of the reaction to Sunday’s 2-2 draw does Everton a disservice.
Alex Crook described four points from games against two newly-promoted sides and an Everton squad of 18 players as a “poor start”. Peter Hall wrote that if Michael Carrick believes four points against Hull, Ipswich and Everton is OK, United supporters should get used to more disappointment.
You can understand the frustration. United are a huge club with huge expectations, and throwing away a lead in the 96th minute is never going to send anyone home happy. But there’s something about Everton being casually lumped in with two newly-promoted teams that grates a little.
Maybe, just maybe, United weren’t allowed to play
The Athletic argued that United should have done more to keep Everton on the back foot after going 1-0 up. Instead, they failed to have a shot on target between their two goals.
Fair point. But perhaps some credit should go to the team that stopped them doing it. Moyes’ side had 18 shots to United’s 14 and six on target to three. They weren’t brilliant, and Marcus Rashford in particular caused them problems, but this wasn’t some great smash-and-grab escape.
Then there’s the 18-man squad. Nobody at Everton is pretending the transfer window went well, and Moyes could certainly have done with another four or five senior players.
Yet Moyes made an interesting point afterwards. Sometimes having fewer players means everybody has to be ready because those on the fringes know their chance could arrive at any moment.
Sunday rather proved him right. Hayden Hackney came off the bench and set up Tyrique George, while Ainsley Maitland-Niles came on and produced that extraordinary stoppage-time equaliser.
Maybe necessity has created a tight-knit group. It doesn’t make the failures of the transfer window disappear, but for now Moyes has a squad that looks willing to scrap for each other.
United supporters will judge their own team by their own standards, as they should. Four points from nine isn’t much fun when you’ve started the season expecting another Champions League campaign.
Just don’t assume Everton (a) is a game you’re entitled to win. Not at the moment, anyway.
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