Match Thread Everton v Manchester United - Preview, Match Report and MotM Poll

[TheSecondComing]

If we have pre-nutcracker James, play someone dynamic like Gordon where Richarlison should be and keep the old formation from start of season I think we can do this

James back firing and Gordon in would be great, we need to give them something to worry about in behind

 

[bullybeef]

Just having an internal debate whether to fork out £25 on a 1 month bt sport subscription just for this game.

I got one last month but there was at least two Everton games within that month.

 

[Carlito]

Just having an internal debate whether to fork out £25 on a 1 month bt sport subscription just for this game.

I got one last month but there was at least two Everton games within that month.

What would the fella in your avatar do?

 

[dannyboy]

Huge game tomorrow. We´ve got to get out of the habit of going through terrible runs of form where we hardly pick up any points for a large spell. Nearly every team struggles at some point in the season but the teams who finish in the European places find a way to grind points out during these periods.

 

[Lanolin]

Huge game tomorrow. We´ve got to get out of the habit of going through terrible runs of form where we hardly pick up any points for a large spell. Nearly every team struggles at some point in the season but the teams who finish in the European places find a way to grind points out during these periods.

None of last season's top 6 lost 3 on the bounce all season, that's how big an issue it is.

 

[Furey1878]

Pickford
Kenny-----Mina----Keane-----Digne
Allan
Doucoure---Bernard
James----------------------------Gordon
DCL​

Not completely against starting Gomes but we can't start Sigurdsson or Iwobi, would say give Bernard a go as the left of the central 3 or dare I say put Davies in.

 

[Connor]

Coleman and James fit, yeerrsss

And Holgate!

 

[GwladysBlue]

Pickford
Coleman Holgate Keane Digne
Allan Doucouré Gomes
James DCL Gordon

Please

 

[BlueStevie35]

Pickford
Coleman Holgate Keane Digne
Allan Doucouré Gomes
James DCL Gordon

Please

Ah yessir that’ll do me

 

[Ring master]

SOME OF THE ANCELOTTI PRE MATCH MAN UTD P/C

Delph ruled out​

Fabian Delph has a "little problem" and out for a few days

James Rodriguez passed fit​

We have practically all the squad apart from Richarlison and Delph. All the others are available.
It is important to have James back, Coleman back and Digne back to have a better team and a better squad.
It will be a difficult game."

Ancelotti on record with Richarlison​

Richarlison is a really important player for us and we have to break this statistic that isn't good tomorrow.

Ancelotti on bouncing back​

We know Manchester United is a strong team, but we want to take this opportunity.
It's never a good moment to play against United. It's true they were up and down in this first period of the season, but it's also true they played some games very well.

Ancelotti on Pickford and Tomorrow​

I have no message. I talk to him every day this week. We laugh, we work together. He knows what to do tomorrow. He starts, yes.
He's a good guy, a funny guy. I don't want to change his character. I think sometimes he made mistakes because he thought too much. When he reacts, he's really top. When he has to act, sometimes he makes mistakes in that situation.
It's difficult to change the character. On the pitch, he has to be focused on what he's doing, knowing his limit and also we have to know where his quality is.

Ancelotti on battle for Europe​

In this moment it is too far until the end of the season. We have to move on from these two defeats that weren't good to show fighting spirit and then we will see after.

Ancelotti on Clean Sheets​

On clean sheets at home: "We are working on this, we only had one clean sheet in the first game against Tottenham. We have to defend better, I totally agree and I told the players we have to defend better. We have to improve there.
If you keep clean sheets, the worst is a draw! I want to keep things simple, a clean sheet is an important step to try to win the game.

Ancelotti on Manchester United​

We prepared the game as usual, trying to find some weakness that they have, that every team in the world has. We are sure that tomorrow will be a difficult game because they have all the qualities a team needs. Creativity power, organisation."

Ancelotti on Rodriguez​

On Rodriguez: "He said that he's 100%. I have some doubt that he's 100% but it doesn't matter for me

Ancelotti on Solskjaer​

In general I have sympathy for all managers. I can say that when things are not good, there is only one responsible. Every manager is under pressure, I can say the pressure that we have is a privilege. We have to analyse ourselves with a cold mind.

Mason Holgate is available​

Mason Holgate is also fit, I forgot to say Holgate is back,
Ancelotti confirms

​

Carlo on Simms​

We have good players in the academy, they are improving all the time. I tried to bring them into training. Ellis is doing well when he trains with us, he can be the future as can all the players in the academy. They need to have this dream.

More on Pickford​

"We are talking too much about Jordan Pickford. I know he's the No. 1 of the national team. He's still really young and that's it. He has to improve by mistakes, as all goalkeepers did in their career. The quality, character and personality is there

On Mina/James Travel​

All the players that have a call from the national teams are allowed to travel."

More on James​

I don't know if he's going to play with the national team, it's not my problem. I don't know if he's 100%, but physically he's ok. He recovered from the little problem he had. If there was a doubt, he wouldn't play, there is no risk
He is going to play tomorrow

 

[GwladysBlue]

Ah yessir that’ll do me

Gomes a weak link but I’d like to keep consistency in the midfield.

Gordon is a much better option than Iwobi. Nowhere near Richarlison but it is what it is.

 

[Deleted member 48881]

Olsen

Holgate Godfrey Keane Digne

Allan Doucs

Gordon James Iwobi

DCL

4-2-3-1 James as number 10, we smash em no problem

 

[BlueStevie35]

Gomes a weak link but I’d like to keep consistency in the midfield.

Gordon is a much better option than Iwobi. Nowhere near Richarlison but it is what it is.

So’s Bernard, be happy for either to play left tomorrow then we’ll have Richy back for Fulham after the internationals

 

[Ring master]

Some of the Solskjaer P/C​

Solskjaer on squad mentality​

Every time you play for United, passion and fight are the things you expect to see, to earn the right to win a game of football you need that and definitely against Everton, with or without fans at Goodison Park, you still have to have that fight and passion in you, that’s a given.

Times are different, times are strange, there is a strain on the players. Football is not the same without fans and passion. I don’t think anyone’s been in the situation the players are now - they've had months and months of playing with uncertainty and unknown with the virus and pandemic.

We have to look after them, physically and mentally and think how my players cope with the whole situation. I’m a definite believer in these boys and will come and show how much they care.

Solskjaer asked if he's been impressed with Everton and Calvert-Lewin​

Not just Dominic Calvert-Lewin, the whole team, set-up.
When Carlo came in, that’s a manager everyone admires, players, coaches, other managers, he’s had a fantastic career and you starting having a look.
They didn’t have a very good period after restart but now you can see what he’s been working on, good pre-season, he used restart to look at his team and I've been impressed.
Calvert-Lewin has been part of that and is integral to their play.

Solskjaer on Arsenal and Istanbul defeats​

We had a very long and late flight back home so we were here early Thursday morning, landing in Manchester. Thursday was a day of tired minds and legs and we couldn't do a lot.
Today has been a bright sunny day in Manchester for a change and the boys are ready for a reaction.
We're all hurt, it's never easy and never enjoyable when you lose two games on the bounce and you've got to react to it.
We know Champions League games are difficult, you don't mind when they outplay you but we gifted them the goals.

Solskjaer on speculation over his future​

Yeah, you have to be mentally strong, there are demands on Manchester United players, coaches and manager.
There is an expectation, we are at the best and biggest club in the world and you don't expect anything but criticism then.
It's how you deal with that setback and from what I've seen from the boys they've been very focused.

Solskjaer on his mood​

I'm good, you don't have to be happy to still stay positive. You know on different days, hard days, in life, there will be better ones coming and I know these players well enough and I trust them to have a response.
Going out there, enjoy wearing the shirt against a good team, it's personal pride that you go out there and play against some very good players and a good team.

Solskjaer on his promise of success​

Yeah, why shouldn’t I be [confident of delivering success]?
If I don’t trust my belief and values and staffs quality and players’ quality, who else should?
I don’t look at one or two results and fall like a house of cards, it’s a setback, definitely, there’s been too much made of not scoring against Arsenal and Chelsea, there’ve been nothing in those games and it’s not long ago we were the best thing since sliced bread against Leipzig and PSG.
You have to have that belief, club have been very positive and shown me their character and strong leadership, I’m looking to Saturday morning, that’s another matter we can talk about.

Solskjaer on feeling pressure and backing from the board​

I've always had a very good, open and honest and positive dialogue with the club.
They've shown strong leadership since I come in and with me today it's sunny in Manchester, I don't expect the wind to turn, always pressure and expectations on us.
I became a man at Manchester United and have learnt how to deal with good and bad times.
You're a top coach or manager when you win and bad when you lose because that's the last game you played. You aren't really better than your last game.
Every game of football becomes history quickly and we need to go into Goodison Park in a positive frame of mind.

Solskjaer on United's inconsistency​

Every game lives its own life and there are fine margins, I’ve said that many times and the performances.
The results create the headlines and backdrop and in games that you win you’re praised and ‘that’s a fantastic performance’. Sometimes you lose and are criticised but it's not as black and white as that.
We definitely searching for the consistency, something we need to improve on, we need a response against Everton.

I come back to what I said earlier on with the players and times we live in, that has to have an input in people’s daily life and mental health at the moment, sometimes you think about how focused the players can be on football and sometimes after defeat it’s easier to focus on 'I need to get back to preparing well'.
Sometimes when you do well you maybe drop your guard and think you have cracked it. I’m looking forward to the response tomorrow afternoon.

 

[Tel001]

My 1.30 assault on the ear drums. A tradition since the Moyes era.

I love that man