Manchester United did not take advantage of the fact that Everton were reduced to 10 men after 13 minutes at Old Trafford, with Ruben Amorim sticking with his much-maligned 3-4-2-1 formation.
Manchester United lost 1-0 against Everton on Monday night, ending a five-match unbeaten run in the Premier League.
Former United manager David Moyes returned to Old Trafford to provide an upset. The Toffees did exactly that, despite Idrissa Gana Gueye’s red card in the 13th minute.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall skipped past Bruno Fernandes and Leny Yoro to score just before the half-hour mark.
United were unable to find a response against Everton and missed out on a chance to climb back into the Premier League’s top four.
However, it is worth looking at how United set up against 10-man Everton, sticking with the same approach they had when Moyes’ side had 11 players on the pitch.
It raises more questions about Amorim’s preferred 3-4-2-1 system.
Ruben Amorim crouched down
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
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Opinion: Ruben Amorim did not take advantage of Everton blow
Amorim likes to point out how nobody complains about his system when United are winning, and how the finger-pointing starts whenever defeats come his way.
The United head coach may have a point, but his credentials are bound to get questioned when his team are unable to take advantage of teams with fewer players on the pitch.
United stuck with five defenders on the pitch following Gueye’s dismissal rather than switching things with a more attack-minded approach.
It caused a degree of confusion because Everton were happy to sit back in a low block, which tends to happen when you trail by a goal against a side managed by Moyes. There was no need whatsoever to have three players back defending at all times when United were trying to chase the game.
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Amorim recently revealed that United are working on a 4-3-3 plan, but that was nowhere to be seen on Monday night, even though I’d argue it would have been a much more suitable approach to tackle a one-goal deficit.
Everton were the better side before and after the red card, showing fight and spirit as opposed to United’s complacency. That is why the players also deserve criticism for not performing at the required standard.
United weren’t at it from the beginning and missed out on a chance to jump ahead of their rivals in the Premier League table.
Gary Neville confused by Man Utd approach in Everton defeat
Former United captain Gary Neville expressed his frustration at United’s approach against Everton, stressing that Luke Shaw should have done more to get forward, especially towards the end of the game.
“The three at the back had to form differently, they had to change,” Neville said on the Gary Neville Podcast.
“Now that doesn’t mean to say, I know that Ruben Amorim has said he will never change his three at the back system, I get it, but I’m sorry.
“Luke Shaw has to go forward and play like a left winger, he has to…. make sure you try and create some form of overload.
“I mean, I played here as 10 men a lot of times, and quite simply, you would never see me back, I’d be literally as wide as possible with either David Beckham or Antonio Valencia or Cristiano Ronaldo on that right-hand side, and Ryan Giggs and Denis Irwin or Patrice Evra would be as wide as possible on this side.
“And you’d leave basically Scholes in there, literally switch in play which Bruno Fernandes can do, and you’d have that four in midfield of Everton charging from side to side, and eventually you work them, you fatigue their legs, you get bodies in the box.
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“You’ve got to flood forward. It’s got to be like the Alamo when you’re playing against 10 men. And they still kept these three at the back.
“All right, Luke Shaw ambled forward a little bit. I was particularly harsh on Luke Shaw, less so on Yoro, because Yoro is a centre back. Luke Shaw’s not a centre back.
“Luke Shaw is a left back who can go forward and go forward well, and he’s got a good left foot. So you’d be the one who dominates and goes forward on that left-hand side.”