Number 14 Everton – My Man United

editorial

What makes a United legend and who will be the next?

Some reminiscing in this issue of United Matchday, with our lead story about Wayne Rooney and the legacy he left at both United and Everton. Meanwhile, comparisons are drawn in the Devils’ Advocate between the current United side and one that was considered to be among the very best ever – that of 2008.

Two of the biggest stars of that side were Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo. Wayne of course remained at United another nine years after that, before returning to Everton, having a spell in the MLS with DC United and coming back to end his playing days at Derby. Now back in Washington as manager, It’s strange to think that grizzly old Wayne is still only 36, a year younger than Cristiano, who is still playing at the top level of the game.

There is so much talk about Ronaldo and whether time has finally caught up with him – something Eckers discusses in his column this week. You can laugh at the jokes and memes or get upset by their irreverence, but it’s hard to avoid them. They are everywhere. There is an example in our Twitter Chatter section (ironically, featuring Rooney himself) that may offend readers who feel it is disrespectful to tease the great man about the predicament he currently finds himself in. But perhaps Ronaldo himself will have the last laugh.

Yes, he has lost a yard of pace and he has struggled to find the back of the net this season. But it would be very premature to write him off as a force. He has had to re-invent himself before, when the dribbling and stepovers gave way to the more energy-conserving goalscoring predator. Perhaps all that’s needed now is another adjustment, to a more Benzema-esque style of play or for our older readers, a Joe Jordan game, a centre forward who mixes power, guile, aggression and vision rather than relying on pace and timing. Come to think of it, much as Rooney reinvented himself in his twilight years.

Another player who might have to reinvent himself is Harry Maguire. In this issue, Red Billy suggests that maybe a fresh start would be in everyone’s best interests and that United should look to sell the skipper if a good opportunity arises in January. With the news that he is out for at least a couple of weeks, Maguire’s World Cup hopes are fading a little but it wouldn’t surprise anyone if Southgate includes him in his squad and he somehow manages to find his way onto the pitch in Qatar.

As for Sunday’s game, with or without Ronaldo there will be plenty of faces on display who could still become United legends themselves. After a difficult week, a heroic performance from any of United’s stars will be very welcome indeed.

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WAYNE ROONEY: ONCE A RED

Legend or not, the former Evertonian has never been replaced at United

If you take a look at the 15-or-so man list of players who have played for both United and Everton, there are some big names in there but none bigger than Wayne Mark Rooney. 253 goals for United and another 28 for the Toffees, Rooney left his mark on both clubs. But was he a United legend? It’s a matter that tends to spark debate. Some fans, with their hand on their hearts will tell you he is the greatest player in the club’s history. Others argue that he would not even get into their best ever United XI.

Fans who don’t consider Rooney to be a legend are often accused of being bitter. “oh, it’s just because you’ve never forgiven him for wanting to leave”, they say. But it’s a little more complicated than that.

First, you have to look at that incredible 253 goals in terms of goals per game, which is 0.45. Using that metric for players just since the year 2000, Rooney only ranks fourth at United. Ahead of him are Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Robin van Persie, both with 0.55 goals per game, and the clear winner was the amazing Ruud van Nistelrooy, with 0.68 goals per game. Of course, you could argue that Zlatan and RVP didn’t play enough games for it to be a fair comparison, but Ruud made 219 appearances. But there again, he was an out and out goalscorer whereas Rooney was more of a team player. Supporting that argument is the fact that Rooney provided 146 assists to the Dutchman’s mere 25.

On the other hand, Rooney’s 0.45 per game is just 0.01 ahead of Andy Cole and Romelu Lukaku, neither of whom are ever likely to be regarded as a club legend (well, certainly not Lukaku).

What is probably most frustrating about Rooney’s United career, though, is magnificent as it was at times, it feels like he under-delivered. For many, his best game was his first ever for the club, when he knocked in one of the best hat-tricks you’re ever likely to see against Fenerbahce. At that time, United fans felt much as City supporters must do now about Erling Haaland. The sky seemed to be the limit and a decade of attacking brilliance was about to transform their lives.

But there were things that held Rooney back. His temperament, for one. He was sent off nine times in his career, including the famous dismissal in the Euro 2016 quarter final against Portugal – or Winkergate, as it became known. There were also off-field scandals, including a whole string of prostitutes – including the infamous “Auld Slapper”, disrespecting a black armband, being arrested for drink driving and so on. Wayne was widely known to be a boozer and a smoker and some fans feel angry that his disrespect for his body held him back from becoming an even better player. It certainly seemed that his career faded quickly as soon as he hit 30.

But there again, that fallibility is typical of some of the world’s greatest footballers, who also could have achieved so much more than they did but who are nonetheless legends. George Best is a prime example, Paul Gascoigne another. When you have the world at your feet at such a young age and the microscopic scrutiny of the gutter press following you everywhere you go, it is easy to trip up. Some might say that overall, Rooney didn’t handle it too badly and the records he set prove that.

One thing is for sure, and that is that United would give their eye teeth for a 18 or 19 year old forward with Wayne Rooney’s ability right now. It seems like a long time that the club had the kind of player who evokes that murmur of excitement from the fans the minute he gets on the ball. A swashbuckling, aggressive, committed hard working player whose goal is to win at all costs and who is supremely gifted, Rooney’s value in today’s market would be immeasurable.

Meet the opposition: everton

After a shaky start to the season, the Toffees have gone 7 games undefeated

Manager: frank lampard

Lampard is yet to convince most people that he can become as good a manager as he was a player. Having done a good job at Derby County, he was headhunted by Chelsea where he underwhelmed before being sacked by former owner Roman Abramovic after just 18 months in charge.He was out of work a total of 6 days before Everton scooped him up. Lampard did just enough to save Everton from a first ever relegation from the top flight, finishing 17th on 39 points last time out.

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match preview

All the latest information about the upcoming game.

Team News and Predicted XI

Erik ten Hag has no known fresh injury headaches after his Manchester United side struggled to overcome Cypriot minnows Omonia in Cyprus on Thursday.

At the pre-match press conference before that game, the manager said he was hopeful about Raphael Varane’s injury so we think there is a chance that the World Cup winner will be ready for Sunday’s trip to Goodison Park to face Everton.

Harry Maguire remains sidelined, with Ten Hag saying his recovery would be longer than that of Varane’s, so Victor Lindelof will partner Lisandro Martinez if the Frenchman doesn’t make it. At full back, the continuing mysterious absence of Aaron Wan-Bissaka means it is Hobson’s choice, with Diogo Dalot being the only recognised right back in the squad. Tyrell Malacia was hauled off at half time again against Omonia and, having struggled in two consecutive matches, he will almost certainly be replaced by Luke Shaw, who looked good when coming on as sub.

In central midfield, assuming Ten Hag maintains the same formation of a ball winner and ball player behind a number 8/10 hybrid, then Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes are both automatic choices for the ball players, especially with Donny van de Beek injured.

The big question is whether the holding midfield role will go to Casemiro, who performed well in Nicosia, or Scott McTominay, who had been in the form of his life until that poor performance in the Manchester derby. We think it’s time Casemiro is given a run in the side, so he will get the nod.

Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial transformed the match against Omonia so we expect them both to start on Sunday. Rashford should replace Jadon Sancho, who has been unimpressive in his last two starts and was another player hauled off at half time on Thursday. Antony will probably get the nod on the right wing.

Martial looks set to replace Cristiano Ronaldo at centre forward, who had another night to forget in Cyprus.

Tactical Analysis

This season, after a bumpy start Lampard has switched from his typical 3-4-3 formation to an attacking 4-3-3. This has brought rewards, with a draw against Liverpool and two wins following the change in system.

In midfield, Onana, Gueye, Davies and Iwobi tend to be rotated, but whoever the personnel there tends to be a twin defensive pivot with one more creative star ahead. This means that there will be little space for the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Christian Eriksen to operate in and United will have to make heavy use of the wings to draw out the defenders and make space. Full backs Mykolenko and Patterson can be attacked, which will also drag back dangermen Gordon and Gray into defensive duties and this nullify the threat of the counter.

Lampard’s sides usually do not employ a high press although Jordan Pickford’s ball-playing ability means that they can keep quite a high line. This often creates a natural block when out of possession so they become hard to break down.

That conservative pressing means that Everton generally conserve energy and are very much a 90 minute team. Against Manchester City last weekend, United’s wingers were criticised for not tracking back, but this simply has to be rectified for Sunday’s game, given the fact that most of Everton’s threat come from those two gifted wingers.

The return of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, should it happen, could cause a change in tactic and historically the Toffees have been happy to play long balls up to the big man, employing runners from midfield such as Davies and Iwobi to capitalise on his aerial dominance.

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Report: MANAGER'S PRESS CONFERENCE (now available - opens THEPEOPLESPERSON.COM in new tab)

Match officials

Referee: David Coote. Assistants: Nick Hopton, Timothy Wood. Fourth official: Anthony Taylor. VAR: Andre Marriner. Assistant VAR: Marc Perry.

Maguire: why a January sale makes sense

Has the skipper got unfinished business at United or is it time to move on?

The next few months will be pivotal for Manchester United’s Harry Maguire as he seeks to revive his faltering football career.

The road back to being a nailed-on starter in United’s first team now looks a very long one owing to the form of Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez (Manchester derby aside) and also to the 29 year old’s own unconvincing performances against Real Sociedad and for England in the recent Nations League matches. A possible opportunity to try again against Omonia was thwarted due to an injury sustained on international duty.

If the World Cup was at the end of the season, Maguire would almost certainly be looking to move on either temporarily or permanently in January to get minutes to ensure he retains his England place. But with the strange November scheduling, all the United skipper can do now is hope that Gareth Southgate remains loyal to him despite his lack of playing time. Those recent Nations League matches will have done little to help his cause and Southgate’s normally staunch defending of the United man has started to sound a little more conditional on whether he plays.

Of course, a dramatic loss of form or injury to either Varane or Martinez over October could provide an opening for Maguire to reclaim his place in the United side and that would come down to a straight choice now between him and Victor Lindelof, with Eric Bailly out on loan and Phil Jones not even registered to play in the Premier or Europa League. But whilst that might get Maguire over the finish line for Qatar, it could represent only a temporary reprieve at Old Trafford and even if there is a return to better form, the question remains as to whether the former Leicester City man will ever be a Ten Hag type of player.

From United’s perspective, there could be a case for cashing in on an expensive asset in January who still has a reasonable market value in his 30th year. By next summer, Maguire will be the wrong side of 30 and there is also the uncertainty of what will happen at his June 7th court date where he will appeal his 21 month suspended sentence for attempted bribery and aggravated assault in Mykonos. Of course, he is highly unlikely to go to jail but by Greek law, he will have a full retrial in front of a more senior court. The consequences of that are to some extent unpredictable, especially the psychological ones.

If United’s other centre backs are fit going into January and another big club is struggling with injuries, the Red Devils could get considerably more than his £27 million market value (as per transfermarkt.com). A good World Cup could see that value rise even further and boost his profile again on the international stage.

That could play in everyone’s favour. United would obviously prefer an overseas sale to avoid strengthening a Premier League opponent, while Maguire’s strengths may be better suited to a slower-paced league such as Serie A or even la Liga. You only have to look at Chris Smalling’s revived career at Roma to see the difference to your game that being in the right league makes. Even good old Matteo Darmian is thriving in Serie A and it was nice to see him up in right midfield in Inter’s victory over Barcelona in Tuesday’s Champions League match.

United have a habit of collecting centre backs – Phil Jones and Axel Tuanzebe are still lurking around somewhere in the shadows – and can ill-afford to have a player with Maguire’s pedigree as a backup when there is decent money to be had for him. He may well want to prove his doubters wrong at United and win a place back in fans’ hearts, but even with a return to form, it is hard to see how that is going to happen under a manager who tends to go for fast, ball-playing tigers.

Red Billy

transfer rumours

What’s hot, what’s real and what’s not

In this section we look at some of the most active transfer stories of the week about United, both comings and goings. We give each story a fire rating (how hot the story is, out of five) and a star rating (how reliable the story is, out of five).

🔥🔥

Rated 1 out of 5

goncalo ramos (benfica)

How do you replace 34 goal Darwin Nunez? Well, Ramos could actually be an upgrade. Averaging more than 1 goal involvement per game in the Liga Portuguesa, the 21 year old has apparently already attracted United’s attention. A figure of €35 million has been doing the rounds but if he continues the season at the rate he’s started it, that price will be considerably higher come June. His profile is being raised even more with big performances in the Champions League, including Wednesday, when he ran riot around PSG’s defence.

🔥🔥

Rated 1 out of 5

Benjamin Sesko (Red Bull Salzburg)

United are reportedly back in for Sesko despite the fact that he has already signed to join RB Leipzig at the end of the season. The idea is that around €60m would mean a healthy profit for the Germans without him having kicked a ball for them.

Chelsea and Bayern Munich are also reportedly contemplating the same thing, so it could be an interesting few months.

🔥

Rated 2 out of 5

youri tielemans (leicester city)

It seems almost certain now that Tielemans will leave Leicester as a free agent in June unless the Foxes decide to cash in by selling in January. United and Arsenal are both rumoured to be keen although the Gunners seem to have considered him more seriously so far than the Red Devils.

The Glazers love a bargain, though, so Erik ten Hag might be offered the chance to capture him should he wish to.

🔥

Rated 3 out of 5

Cody gakpo (PSV Eindhoven)

United came close to signing Gakpo this summer but the amount spent on Antony left them insufficient money to complete the deal. The Dutchman has set out to prove them wrong and has scored 10 while assisting nine goals for PSV in 13 games across all competitions so far this season.

This could attract other big guns to the auction and come June, his price could be considerably higher than the £35 million quoted just a few weeks ago.

Photo of the week: despair

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The devil's advocate

“Sir Alex Ferguson would have won the treble with the current squad”

The case for ...

Sir Alex Ferguson is undeniably one of the greatest managers in history. That’s not really up for debate. What is up for debate, is whether he would have made this current squad a successful one. More than successful really, more like one for the history books.

Context surrounding our squad changes our perceptions of their actual quality, and what different managers might be capable of doing without changing the actual personnel. There’s enough quality in the current squad, coupled with Sir Alex’s genius to suggest a treble win isn’t that crazy of an argument.

Consider David de Gea – he might not be at his peak and there may be doubts over him but that’s more to do with tactical usefulness. The Scottish legend has won titles with less capable goalkeepers.

Diogo Dalot and Aaron Wan-Bissaka would’ve been Fergie’s dream scenario – two vastly different players in the same position he can use according to the match being played.

Raphael Varane and Lisandro Martinez would just be a reincarnation of the Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic pairing, and we all know what happened with those two.

Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia are also two different profiles and Sir Alex would’ve had the Englishman playing consistently for once, especially since suggestions have been that it’s all a mental/attitude problem.

Casemiro, Eriksen, and Bruno Fernandes are some of the best players in the league and Ferguson would’ve loved having tenacious squad players behind them in Scott McTominay and Fred; kind of like how he used Darren Fletcher.

And we all know how he feels about his golden boy Cristiano Ronaldo. Plus with Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho, Antony, and Anthony Martial, he has the perfect set of options to toy with the opposition with. All are capable of goals, flair, and pace – attributes Fergie always pushed for.

If he was allowed to work his magic on this squad, get them firing again (particularly from a mental perspective), United would be capable of taking on any team in the world.

There’s a reason Sir Alex didn’t need to be a master tactician or a top tier scout or anything of the sort – he had something bigger than that. A vision, an ability to unite, a fire that meant you had to get out of his way or all would burn in his path.

With our current squad, he would’ve found a way to do so. Just as he did regardless of the players at his disposal in the past, he knew exactly how to extract the maximum out of his squad.

And with the 2022 version of United, we all know their maximum could make things pretty scary for the world of football – but only under Sir Alex Ferguson.

Red Moon

The case against...

Sir Alex Ferguson failed to win the treble with much better squads than United’s current one, so why would he have won it with this crop?

Look at the 2008 side. Better in virtually every department. Van der Sar an upgrade on De Gea in many people’s eyes. Neville over Dalot, Evra over any current left back, Ferdinand and Vidic arguably one of the best centre back partnerships ever to play football.

In midfield, Scholes and Carrick were certainly better than McFred – Casemiro may yet prove to be up there with the best, but Eriksen won’t reach those heights. Giggs, Saha, Berbatov, Rooney … and I think we can all agree that 23 year old Ronaldo is better than 37 year old Ronaldo.

The depth was there as well, with the likes of Owen Hargreaves, Park, Mikael Silvestre, the Da Silva twins, Nani, Wes Brown, John O’Shea … and yet they achieved no treble.

Sir Alex was certainly one of the greatest at getting the best out of average players. The fact that the 1999 treble-winning squad contained names such as Jonathan Greening, David May, Ronnie Wallwork and Jesper Blomqvist is a testament to that. But the problem with the current squad is not that it is full of average players, it’s that it’s a hotchpotch of badly researched signings, with no clear identity, that do not naturally fit together as a team, and which is totally imbalanced.

The 1999 side had Andy Cole, Dwight Yorke, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Teddy Sheringham as strikers, for example. The current squad has Anthony Martial and 37-year old CR7. Two strikers, one of whom is 37 years old? How is a team supposed to complete a 50 match plus season with that?

Right back is another good comparison. The 1999 side had Both Neville brothers, Berg, Brown and Denis Irwin all capable of playing in that position. The current squad has Dalot, Wan-Gone-Missing and at a pinch, Victor Lindelof. There’s simply not enough cover.

More importantly, that 1999 side, as with most of Sir Alex’s sides, was built to be a unit. Rio and Vidic complemented each other perfectly. Keane’s grit and defensive genius allowed Scholes to get forward without United being punished. Cole and Yorke were bought to play together, Cole the more direct and Yorke the more creative. That whole side complemented each other both technically and mentally. The current United squad, as a result of various changes in management and a lack of director of football, has been bought using a scattergun approach. Thus there is a total lack of cohesion.

Hopefully Ten Hag will have long enough at United to build a cohesive squad. He’s made a good start as you can already see a personality starting to form in the likes of Malacia, Lisandro and Antony. But as things stand right now, no manager in the world would be able to get this squad anywhere near major honours.

Red Billy

newton heath

Classic United matches from yesteryear

Wembley, May 18th 1985, FA Cup Final: Manchester United 1 Everton 0

Manchester United were about to start their sixth FA Cup final in the last nine years, albeit under three different managers, but went into the 1985 final as huge underdogs. Everton, having won the previous year’s final, were recently crowned league champions and had also won the European Cup Winners Cup against Rapid Vienna just three days before.

The Toffees headed to Wembley in their attempt to complete an unprecedented treble, having won the league by a huge 13 points ahead of their arch rivals Liverpool. United finished only a point behind them as well as reaching the quarter finals of the UEFA cup, and as cup specialists in recent years, went into the final confident of giving the Toffees a tough challenge.

Ron Atkinson, the United manager who had lead his side on a successful cup run just two years earlier, took his team to London skippered by England’s Captain Marvel, Bryan Robson. United impressively fielded 8 of the starting 11 that won that 1983 final replay v Brighton, the match ending in a 4-0 rout for The Red Devils. And with both sides boasting almost a full team of international stars, United and Everton were meeting for the fourth time in the 1984/85 campaign, but this time for the season finale beneath Wembley’s famous twin towers.

With a traditional 3pm kick off, the match was preceded by 99,445 fans falling silent in a minute’s memory of those who had tragically lost their lives in the Bradford City fire just a week before. And as the game got under way, it was the Merseysiders who created the early chances, United goalkeeper Gary Bailey gifting the ball to England midfielder Peter Reid, whose shot deflected off John Gidman and hit the post after 15 minutes. United striker Frank Stapleton teased the Everton defence and tested keeper Neville Southall from range, but as the match played out it was a largely cagey affair, both sides sharing possession but with little end product to show from it, it ended goal-less at half-time.

With the second half approaching its final stages, Reid found himself involved once again as he raced through on goal. United’s Republic of Ireland defender Kevin Moran chopped him down and received a red card for a professional foul, becoming the first player in its 104 year history to be sent off in an FA cup final.

As the 90 minutes fizzled out, the match went into extra time, and just as both teams looked to have accepted a replay, in the 110th minute of the game, United broke away down the right. Mark Hughes took possession and turned neatly, playing a sublime outside of the right boot pass to Norman Whiteside, who dribbled the ball towards the box. As the Northern Ireland star teased Everton’s Pat Van Den Hauwe, he entered the penalty area, and with a quick step over, cut inside and unleashed a precision left foot shot which curled past Southall into the far corner.

United won 1-0, but Moran was denied the opportunity to receive a winner’s medal because of his sending off, but 2 weeks later when United were on tour, the FA voted to award him one. And despite United securing their sixth FA cup win, manger Atkinson was sacked the following season to be replaced by Alex Ferguson. The Scot went on to secure another six cups as well as almost every other trophy this famous old club competed for.

United lineup: Gary Bailey, John Gidman, Arthur Albiston (Mike Duxbury), Norman Whiteside, Paul McGrath, Kevin Moran, Bryan Robson, Gordon Strachan, Mark Hughes, Frank Stapleton, Jesper Olsen.

Paul Speller

eckers

Cristiano Ronaldo: the end of an era?

Cristiano Ronaldo’s reported transfer request cast long shadows over Erik ten Hag’s first summer as Manchester United boss. Rather than talking about his vision for the club, the Dutchman spent much of his time reluctantly fending off a monotonous line of questioning about the Portuguese’s future. The speculation followed the club on their Asian and Australian tours and rumbled right on until the transfer window slammed shut, leaving the player in a weird kind of limbo.

Since the season began, there’s been a lot of talk about compromise and adaptation. Would Ronaldo accept a role as a bit part player? Can he adapt his game to suit the new manager? Should Ten Hag compromise his style to accommodate an immobile, yet undeniably lethal, finisher? Questions, questions, and more questions. Only a small minority seemed to wonder if Ronaldo even had anything left to offer.

And yet, for a player who used to time his runs with the precision of a Swiss watch, the legendary goal-getter seems oblivious to the ticking of his own internal clock. Where once those dancing feet could mesmerise opponents, there’s now a sudden clumsiness and hints of leaden-feet. The signs were there last year – the air shots, the haphazard touch, and loss of acceleration were all evident to some degree. Just not quite this pronounced.

These worrying markers of physical decline reached their nadir in the slim Europa League victory over Omonia Nicosia. At times, watching Ronaldo stutter and stumble as assorted teammates bent over backwards to help him score his 700th goal bordered on humiliating. Time and again, they laid inviting opportunities into his path, only for a slack touch here and a lack of assurance there to get in the way. At times it was like watching a jaded pro being forced to confront his own mortality in a testimonial.

Also worth noting is just how much better United looked once Marcus Rashford and Antony Martial were introduced. The difference in decisiveness between the two quicksilver attackers and their hesitant, clumsy partner was stark. The fact is, the Reds were just a better team when Ronaldo was no longer the focal point. Martial and Rashford have done enough to keep their places for the upcoming trip to Goodison Park.

It would be crazy to jump to any conclusions based on one performance, but the iconic number 7’s latest showing was so fascinatingly bad that serious questions will need to be asked about his longevity. His frenzied internet stans will no doubt use his lack of game time as an excuse for his struggles in Cyprus but their appeals ring hollow. He’s a busted flush. The anti-Haaland.

In hindsight, it’s telling that his transfer request was met with total ambivalence by the wider football community. Rather than being bombarded with offers from rival clubs, nobody was interested. Even his commercial appeal couldn’t counteract the natural laws of physical decline. And there’s the rub. Sometimes the decline happens fast. One day the world is fawning over your superhuman abilities, the next you’re sat next to Michael Owen on BT Sport.

It’s a cruel game.

Scott Eckersley

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