The England head coach will no doubt have one eye on United's Premier League game with Everton
Thomas Tuchel
England head coach Thomas Tuchel(Image: Getty Images)
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Normally a team's home record is much better than away for obvious reasons - look no further than Newcastle as an example.
However it is not like that for Everton. They are much more of a threat when they cross Stanley Park and venture forth, so be warned United.
The Toffee men have the sixth (or joint fourth) best away record in the PL - P13, W6, D3, L4, Pts21 whereas at home they have harvested five points less.
Everton's struggles at their new Hill Dickinson stadium continued against Man U at the beginning of the week with only four wins now recorded in 14 league games at the venue.
A Geordie (Michael Carrick) beat them. May a Geordie team now do the same. We need that. While we've kept going with some style in the Champions League, Carabao Cup, and FA Cup our PL form has been beyond disappointing.
United currently stand 11th on the same points as Sunderland, a point behind Everton, and also trailing Fulham, Bournemouth, and Brentford.
Still, Newcastle are mentally in a decent place after recent results and looking upwards.
What United have to overcome is a staunch Mackem Jordan Pickford, who likes nought better than defending his goal against Geordie opposition, and a former Sunderland manager David Moyes who is a legend in the blue half of Liverpool.
On the other hand Anthony Gordon is due to make an impact against his old club. He is about as liked by Evertonians as Short Arms is by Geordies but he has the ability to put them to the buck. Anth twists and turns more than a corkscrew!
Thomas Tuchel is looking to put the final touches to his England World Cup squad - surely he must remember and recall Lewis Hall - but there is another answer lying at SJP and I'm not just meaning Tino Livramento when he gets fit again.
Tuchel has been looking for back up to Harry Kane and everyone has got a mention from Ollie Watkins and Dominic Calvert-Lewin to Ivan Toney and Dominic Solanke but perhaps the answer is already within his squad.
The German loves Gordon for his direct running at the heart of a defence and United's Champions League slayer has been topping up the goals in that competition. Only Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe with 13 has scored more than Anthony's 10 so far which means our boy has a greater return than Kane on eight, Erling Haaland seven, and all the PL strikers.
He has played centre-forward on the international stage as well of course leading England's attack and being voted Player of the Tournament when they lifted the European Under 21 trophy in 2023 while should Tuchel use him as a back up striker as well as a winger across the pond it would free up another position in his squad. England would still need a second out-and-out striker as cover but not a third.
Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane warming up together for England ahead of their win against Serbia
Anthony Gordon and Harry Kane warming up together for England(Image: OLIVER BUNIC/AFP via Getty Images)
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Not that it's United's problem of course just as it isn't with Nick Woltemade being dropped back into a midfield three when Germany use him as a centre-forward. Eddie must do what is best for us not for them.
As for right now Gordon putting Everton and Pickford to the buck would be a grand idea!
Howe's team selection will be interesting and almost certainly not predictable 100 per cent. Malick Thiaw is available again, Joelinton will start in the PL for the first time after injury alongside Sandro Tonali, Nick Pope will be back in goal, and Gordon must play through the middle.
However who will be centre back alongside Thiaw, Sven Botman or Dan Burn? Who will be the third midfielder - Jacob Ramsey if available? And who will be the wingers?
United go into the match having confirmed their arrival in the last 16 of the Champions League. Maybe a match-day scoreline of 3-2 against Qarabag up here looks closer than it ought but then a 9-3 aggregate is pretty convincing.
People would say the game was all over after six minutes at SJP with Newcastle having scored twice but in truth the whole tie was over after the first-half in Baku when the Mags took the break at 5-0.
Such dominance can involuntarily see the foot being taken off the gas leading to sloppiness as well as a tendency toward conserving energy during a congested fixture list. Think about it - after dominating the opening 45 minutes and building up a virtually unassailable lead United drew the second-half 1-1 in Baku and actually lost it 1-2 here!
It was still job done however and United now go on to three much more daunting tasks all inside a week and all at the cathedral on the hill - Everton, Manchester United next Wednesday, and then Manchester City in the FA Cup at the weekend. Tough, tough, and tougher.
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