Benjamin Sesko looks the real deal, as does his “not good enough” teammate, but Michael Carrick has work to do to convince he’s the man for Manchester United.
Something had to give in a clash between two teams who have enjoyed most of their success in games when they’ve not had the majority of the ball. But we didn’t expect that something to be an across-the-board loss of almost all quality when they did have it to the extent where it often looked like they were actively shunning possession in the hope that the next time they got the ball back things might be different. It wasn’t.
Everton have won eight of the 13 games in which they’ve had less than 45 per cent possession and just two of the 13 games when they’ve had more.
Manchester United had less than 45 per cent in the victories over Manchester City, Arsenal and Fulham, but very nearly lost to West Ham while enjoying 65 per cent of the ball. They did enjoy similar dominance in victory under Michael Carrick, but against Tottenham in an anomalous game for a whole host of reasons not limited to Spurs being God awful and being down to ten men for over an hour after the latest Cristian Romero nonsense.
Everton ceded possession ten times in the first half. Manchester United gave it away on 15 occasions. Kobbie Mainoo was (5) the awful game’s main culprit. It’s no exaggeration to say the only notable moment of quality in the opening period came when James Garner smashed a free-kick from a full 30 yards out, which Senne Lammens plucked from in front of his top corner with consummate and impressive ease.
Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall looked the most likely avenue for creativity in either side, finding dangerous positions that opposite number Bruno Fernandes couldn’t and the odd smart pass amid the anti-possession agenda that Fernandes didn’t to offer a stark comparison between the two playmakers. The United skipper has rarely been so ineffective.
It fell to Matheus Cunha to play the Fernandes role in a truly stunning goal worthy of winning any game and so entirely out of keeping with this absolute stinker.
Benjamin Sesko was involved in a little triangle on the edge of the United box which ended at at the feet of Cunha, who sprayed a pass while falling over perfectly into the path of Bryan Mbeumo, who took one touch, checked and waited for Sesko to leave James Tarkowski for dead in a foot race and sweep the ball first time past a powerless Jordan Pickford.
It was a thing of beauty from start to finish, featuring all three of United’s forward signings playing their parts to perfection and Sesko will now surely start against Fulham after three goals in 90 minutes of substitute action under Carrick. He looks like the real deal.
But the hero of the piece was the “not at the level” fourth summer addition tending goal at the other end.
Former United coach Rene Meulensteen has now twice claimed Lammens is “not good enough” for the Red Devils, in criticism which stinks of a pundit being poked for a Red Devils negative.
After his clearance was charged down by Thierno Barry in the very first action of the game the 23-year-old was impeccable under some severe pressure from Everton and a clear tactic from David Moyes to target him as a weakness from set pieces.
The hosts had ten corners, all swung on top of the goalkeeper and they never came close to scoring as Lammens punched, caught and battled to deny them. It’s testament to the comfort with which he dealt with the barrage that Everton’s persistence with the strategy was a cause of frustration from those with a Toffees bent come the end of the game.
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He also produced a fine finger-tip save to deny Michael Keane from distance and plenty of Manchester United fans will have imagined Tyrique George’s stoppage-time drive slipping under predecessor Andre Onana while Lammens suffocated the ball as it bounced just in front of him to help United to first clean sheet on the road since last March vs Leicester.
“I take pride in it,” Lammens said after the game when asked about the value he puts in keeping hold of the ball rather than palming it away, in an interview in keeping with his level-headed performances for Manchester United. He’s a hugely impressive person and goalkeeper.
United are in his safe hands with him but Carrick will need to do more to convince he’s the man to take the Red Devils forward despite breaking a hoodoo through victory at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Because this was a slog. United didn’t really look like scoring until they did against a well-drilled and packed Everton defence, and while the attacking players produced that one excellent move, there should be real concern over what they and Fernandes contributed besides.
Manchester United are a very good bet to qualify for the Champions League, chiefly because of their lack of European commitments while Aston Villa, Liverpool and Chelsea continue to play midweek football for the foreseeable future.
And the INEOS chiefs should be very wary of handing the permanent reins to Carrick because of that huge factor in his favour and until he can show that United can win a game of football in which they create a number of chances while dominating the ball, because they’re not going to win titles without that ability.
