Robbie Earle points out ‘worrying’ aspect of Everton defeat v Manchester United
Robbie Earle says it is “worrying” the way Everton struggled so badly in the second half of their Premier League defeat to Manchester United.
The Toffees fell to a 3-0 loss at Goodison Park on Sunday (26 November) in front of a vociferous home crowd.
Alejandro Garnacho opened the scoring inside three minutes, before Marcus Rashford doubled the visitors’ lead with a 56th-minute penalty.
Everton had some promising moments, but Anthony Martial sealed the points for United with a third goal 15 minutes from time on Merseyside.
Speaking on NBS Sports’ coverage of the game [26 November, 18:31], former midfielder Earle said: “Today wasn’t a good day [for Everton].
“A wondergoal changed the narrative of the match; it changed the mood around the ground.
“Everton had a 20/25-minute spell in the first half when they were on top and had good chances.
“After that, in the second half they never really looked like they were going to get back into the game which is worrying.
“It almost felt like they’d slipped into the Everton we’d seen before this run [of form]. It’s time to clear the mind and get the focus back again.
“This club has moved on under Sean Dyche and must now get back to those previous performances.”
Move on
It may be harsh to say Everton’s players struggled amid a raucous atmosphere, but too many of them failed to turn up against United.
Garnacho’s sublime strike so early in the game was a real sucker-punch, though Everton did recover slightly once settling into the game.
However, a mixture of some bad finishing and good goalkeeping from Andre Onana meant United’s lead stayed intact before they then found a second.
The Toffees’ heads dropped between Rashford’s penalty and Martial’s point-sealing third, with the players almost accepting it was not their day.
It must be remembered that United – somehow – have been the most in-form side in the division over the past month.
As disappointing as the defeat was, particularly given the off-the-field developments, there are still plenty of reasons to be cheerful.
What it does mean, though, is that next weekend’s trip to Nottingham Forest – five places better off – has now taken on more importance.
Dyche has a week to ensure this defeat is out of the players’ systems before making the trip to the City Ground.
In other Everton news, footage has been shared of the fan protest before the match outside Goodison Park.