Everton 0 Manchester United 1: Stuart Mathieson's verdict
PRAYERS ARE ANSWERED: Javier Hernandez before the game Manchester Unitedin rehab is not pretty but it is only a temporary state while the wounds of the derby heal.
The champions have gone from cavalier to cautious. From like a house on fire to safe as houses.
Those superlatives used when Arsenal were crushed in August and when the free-scoring entertainers gave full value for money against Bolton and Chelsea in September have been packed away for another day.
At the time it looked like theyd be worn out and that searching the thesaurus for a new way to laud the Reds was going to be the main task for freshening up match reports. But gradually thumbing lexicons wasnt necessary and they were completely abandoned after the trauma of the 6-1 defeat by City at Old Trafford.
To avert a potential explosion of crisis stories it was a case of needs must at Goodison Park with Javier Hernandez even praying before Saturdays clash.
Wounds from the derby were still raw and a back-to-back Premier League blow would have meant the healing process would have been far more prolonged.
Even Sir Alex Fergusons super size squad didnt lend itself to a full scale sweep of the axe to those whod started against the Blues and flopped so badly.
But there were a few on Merseyside who knew they were the fortunate ones to be given a second opportunity. Others were not so lucky. But the choice of personnel and the tactics they were detailed to perform worked.
It is rare that United are asked to be so safety-first in their outlook when on duty in England.
Virtually ditching the attacking verve woven into the Old Trafford fabric is alien to the Reds and it led to a pretty soulless affair at Goodison but these were extenuating circumstances.
The R! omanians Otelul Galati and Steve Bruces Sunderland might not find Uniteds edge so blunt this week at Old Trafford.
As soon as Wayne Rooney began patrolling the midfield and chose not to venture into the box too much, as if it were surrounded by an electric fence, you knew what we were in for.
But I dont think youd get too many complaints from United fans. Avoiding a successive defeat was paramount.
For the neutrals an early United goal was going to be the least desired start because the Reds would then be able to guard what theyd got.
Plan
For Fergies post-derby plan it was the ideal opening if Everton could be pierced.
Mancunian Danny Welbeck arguably was stung more by the derby disaster than anyone but credit to his fortitude he began against David Moyess side as if he was still on a major high.
Employed as a left winger he was bright and a penetrating early run saw him cutback a pass for Ji-sung Park. The Koreans sidefoot almost slipped past Tim Howard but the American did enough to keep the ball out.
Had the ball gone in we could have kissed goodbye to a compelling game just passed noon.
The interest did last a shade longer until United went ahead.
It has been a lot to lay at the door of a novice senior the label of United saviour but charting the decline from the heady days of early season clearly illustrates losing Tom Cleverley has been more than coincidental.
The intelligent pass that sold Evertons defence a collective dummy and put Welbeck in to feed Patrice Evra out wide in the build-up was the kind of inventive ball largely absent from Uniteds locker recently.
A cross that lands shin-high in the six-yard area is meat and drink to Javier Hernandez. Evras delivery was perfect and the Mexican gobbled it up. It very much became a protection racket for United with Nemanja Vidic to the fore as a solid impenetrable obstacle.
The good work was ! nearly u ndone just before half-time. The last thing you want to do when Leighton Baines is in the opposition XI is to give away a centrally placed free kick about 20-yards from your goal.
Darren Fletcher did that in the 39th minute and Baines almost wrecked Uniteds game plan to sit on what theyd garnered by curling in a glorious set piece that fortunately smashed against the bar and away.
Prior to this match an away trip at Goodison was viewed as one of the last trips United would have wanted to soothe their wounds after the derby. In the end the Merseysiders lack of punch was perfect for Uniteds mental recovery. The Reds pretty much surrendered possession and let Everton test Vidic and Co for over an hour.
But, without the injured Tim Cahill and the summer departure of Mikel Arteta to Arsenal, Everton could only really lump balls into the box and Uniteds Serbian skipper will deal with that kind of danger all afternoon.
What is your verdict? Have your say.
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The champions have gone from cavalier to cautious. From like a house on fire to safe as houses.
Those superlatives used when Arsenal were crushed in August and when the free-scoring entertainers gave full value for money against Bolton and Chelsea in September have been packed away for another day.
At the time it looked like theyd be worn out and that searching the thesaurus for a new way to laud the Reds was going to be the main task for freshening up match reports. But gradually thumbing lexicons wasnt necessary and they were completely abandoned after the trauma of the 6-1 defeat by City at Old Trafford.
To avert a potential explosion of crisis stories it was a case of needs must at Goodison Park with Javier Hernandez even praying before Saturdays clash.
Wounds from the derby were still raw and a back-to-back Premier League blow would have meant the healing process would have been far more prolonged.
Even Sir Alex Fergusons super size squad didnt lend itself to a full scale sweep of the axe to those whod started against the Blues and flopped so badly.
But there were a few on Merseyside who knew they were the fortunate ones to be given a second opportunity. Others were not so lucky. But the choice of personnel and the tactics they were detailed to perform worked.
It is rare that United are asked to be so safety-first in their outlook when on duty in England.
Virtually ditching the attacking verve woven into the Old Trafford fabric is alien to the Reds and it led to a pretty soulless affair at Goodison but these were extenuating circumstances.
The R! omanians Otelul Galati and Steve Bruces Sunderland might not find Uniteds edge so blunt this week at Old Trafford.
As soon as Wayne Rooney began patrolling the midfield and chose not to venture into the box too much, as if it were surrounded by an electric fence, you knew what we were in for.
But I dont think youd get too many complaints from United fans. Avoiding a successive defeat was paramount.
For the neutrals an early United goal was going to be the least desired start because the Reds would then be able to guard what theyd got.
Plan
For Fergies post-derby plan it was the ideal opening if Everton could be pierced.
Mancunian Danny Welbeck arguably was stung more by the derby disaster than anyone but credit to his fortitude he began against David Moyess side as if he was still on a major high.
Employed as a left winger he was bright and a penetrating early run saw him cutback a pass for Ji-sung Park. The Koreans sidefoot almost slipped past Tim Howard but the American did enough to keep the ball out.
Had the ball gone in we could have kissed goodbye to a compelling game just passed noon.
The interest did last a shade longer until United went ahead.
It has been a lot to lay at the door of a novice senior the label of United saviour but charting the decline from the heady days of early season clearly illustrates losing Tom Cleverley has been more than coincidental.
The intelligent pass that sold Evertons defence a collective dummy and put Welbeck in to feed Patrice Evra out wide in the build-up was the kind of inventive ball largely absent from Uniteds locker recently.
A cross that lands shin-high in the six-yard area is meat and drink to Javier Hernandez. Evras delivery was perfect and the Mexican gobbled it up. It very much became a protection racket for United with Nemanja Vidic to the fore as a solid impenetrable obstacle.
The good work was ! nearly u ndone just before half-time. The last thing you want to do when Leighton Baines is in the opposition XI is to give away a centrally placed free kick about 20-yards from your goal.
Darren Fletcher did that in the 39th minute and Baines almost wrecked Uniteds game plan to sit on what theyd garnered by curling in a glorious set piece that fortunately smashed against the bar and away.
Prior to this match an away trip at Goodison was viewed as one of the last trips United would have wanted to soothe their wounds after the derby. In the end the Merseysiders lack of punch was perfect for Uniteds mental recovery. The Reds pretty much surrendered possession and let Everton test Vidic and Co for over an hour.
But, without the injured Tim Cahill and the summer departure of Mikel Arteta to Arsenal, Everton could only really lump balls into the box and Uniteds Serbian skipper will deal with that kind of danger all afternoon.
What is your verdict? Have your say.
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