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Full-Time: Everton 1-0 Manchester United
First of all, to the teams, and the somewhat disappointing news that Robin van Persie starts his Manchester United career on the bench.
Still, there’s enough quality on show to make it, potentially, the standout game of the opening weekend.
Everton: Howard, Hibbert, Jagielka, Distin, Baines, Osman, Gibson, Neville, Pienaar, Fellaini, Jelavic
Subs: Mucha, Heitinga, Naismith, Gueye, Barkley, Coleman, Anichebe
Man Utd: De Gea, Valencia, Carrick, Vidic, Evra, Nani, Cleverley, Scholes, Kagawa, Rooney, Welbeck
Subs: Lindegaard, Da Silva, Anderson, Berbatov, Young, van Persie, Wootton
Referee: Andre Marriner
Looking at the United line-up, it seems that Fergie is trying a patented 2-6-2 formation. Well, not really, but Antonio Valencia and Michael Carrick find themselves in the unusual positions of right-back and centre-back respectively.
Everton, meanwhile, feature three former United men (Howard, Neville, Gibson) and one future United player, if the papers are to be believed.
Leighton Baines, that being.
Baines swings in a free-kick but Leon Osman’s header goes well wide of De Gea’s goal. That barely registers as an effort on goal.
Nani slides in on Baines and Andre Marriner deems it worthy of a booking. Hardly. Even Baines, perhaps with one eye on his new colleagues, urges the ref to keep his card in his pocket. No dice. Yellow card for Nani.
Not a huge amount to get excited about, though United are pressing and pressing. Kagawa is showing some nice touches but Sylvain Distin is having a good day at the office. No way through.
That’s pretty bad from Paul Scholes, who scythes down Darron Gibson with a patented Paul Scholes-challenge. The pensioner is booked.
Meanwhile, Marouane Fellaini tricks his way towards the United goal brilliantly but can’t beat de Gea. Jelavic is annoyed – he wanted the pull-back.
A free-kick from Baines is well dealt with by de Gea, and Steven Pienaar skies the rebound. Nervy few moments from the visitors.
Steffan Kelly, in the comments, asks who Wootton is?
Well, he’s 20-year-old Scott Wootton, a defender in a time of crisis for Ferguson and company. He’s not without experience, having turned out for Nottingham Forest on loan last season.
De Gea is keeping United in the game as he saves from Jelavic and Pienaar, who injures himself. After that Fellaini turns superbly but lashes his shot high and wide. Everton are dominating this.
And where is Wayne Rooney?
Scholes is fouled on the edge of the Everton penalty and Rooney steps up to take the free-kick. He curls it superbly over the wall but just wide of Tim Howard’s post. United’s best chance has gone begging.
“First time shot, always travelling wide.” The Sky Sports commentators on Pienaar.
Everton go SO close to the opening goal – the ball bounces around the United box after Fellaini misdirects a header, falls to Pienaar and his shot is seen late by de Gea, who does brilliantly to get down and turn it away. Best chance of the match.
Incidentally, if Messrs Scholes and Fellaini don’t float your boat, over on The Journal site Michael Freeman is liveblogging the Rose of Tralee.
Penalty??? No penalty! Jagielka seems to tug Welbeck down just inside the Everton box but Marriner is not convinced. It was a ‘seen them given’ if you ask us.
Fellaini is at the heart of everything. His knockdown falls to Osman, who spins and does well to get a shot on target. That shot, however, is right down the throat of de Gea and the Spaniard saves.
“I’ll be honest.. Liverpool won’t win the league,united have got a chance but also won’t, can only see city…”
One Robert Bernard Fowler on the Twitter machine.
A free-kick from Baines and it’s the save of the half from de Gea, who gets to the curling effort with his right-hand. It was even better when you take the deflection off the wall into account.
We’ll have two minutes of stoppage time.
We have the whistle as Howard makes his first real save of the game from Rooney. Everton on top in the first half, with Fellaini superb. Can’t wait for the second half.
We’re back, and no substitutions at half-time.
So close for Everton! Fellaini, once again, heads back into the path of Osman and the midfielder lashes his shot against the underside of the crossbar.
United storm upfield and Jagielka gets in a quite brilliant challenge on Welbeck.
Whew!
Rooney tries to curl the ball past Howard as Kagawa makes a dummy run on his outside. It doesn’t work. He’s not playing well, the former Everton player.
GOAL! Marouane Fellaini heads Everton in front from a corner, as he bullies Michael Carrick out of the way. The big Belgian has absolutely devoured this match, and the lead is deserved.
Another Fellaini header as the midfielder gets above Vidic from a Jagielka knockdown, but it’s a tame effort.
Rooney gets free and tries to feed it across the box, but there’s no United player there.
Welbeck goes off to be replaced by Robin van Persie. Strange, so strange, to see him in United gear.
There is not a single Everton player in the United half. What they have, they certainly intend to hold.
Ashley Young is coming on, and you’d imagine Nani will be the man to go off. Meanwhile…
There are 14 minutes left and it’s hard to remember a gilt-edged chance for United. Young on for Nani.
The United new boys link up as van Persie nutmegs one of the Everton defenders and picks out Kagawa. Howard gets on top of it just as the Japanese shoots, and the ball loops to safety. A sign of things to come?
Leon Osman goes off to a standing ovation – he’s been almost as good as Fellaini – and is replaced by Seamus Coleman.
Interesting one about how Tony Hibbert is the only Everton player taking part that also played in David Moyes’ first game in charge.
Well, interesting to an anorak like me.
Anderson comes on to replace Tom Cleverley. That could be the first time tonight I’ve written Tom Cleverley.
Young curls in a cross and Howard gathers it. That’s not interesting, but the match has descended into mediocrity. Coleman had one chance for Everton but he was pushed too wide by the United defence.
Coleman does brilliantly, running 40 or 50 yards and drawing a foul from Vidic, before Steven Naismith comes on for his Everton debut.
United finally start to press but there are too many passes in front of Everton, and Anderson ends up shooting the ball wide. Fellaini goes off to be replaced by Johnny Heitinga.
Standing ovation. Obviously.
That’s it! A brilliant performance from Everton, who thoroughly deserved to beat Manchester United. Alex Ferguson’s side were lethargic and had no ideas.
United just could not handle Fellaini, who gave what will possibly be one of the performances of the season. Phenomenal stuff from a player who could well be tempting the more monied clubs before the window closes.
And so concludes the first round of games in the Premier League. Defeats for Manchester United, Liverpool and Tottenham. A poor draw for Arsenal. A stroll for Chelsea and a nervy win for the champions. It’s been a weekend to celebrate Swansea, Fulham and the brilliant perm of Merseyside’s favourite Belgium.
Thanks for keeping up…
Delighted! Fatman and Robin upstaged by Krusty!
Sideshow Fell more like!
I am so proud of the Toffees tonight. A master class by Fellaini!
Great result from Everton tonight, all the talk before the game was about United and Van Persie.
Typically now all of the talk is about Utd’s central defender injury crisis…..
A team like Utd should have plenty of cover for all positions, no excuses please, Everton fully deserved their victory. Come on the Toffees ….
Plenty of cover they have 4 centre halves injured! Ferdinand, Evans, Smalling and Jones, all of them would be starters in most premier league sides.
Disgusting from the united fans, the crowds who sang that disgusting chant should be ashamed.
Let’s hope you’re just as critical when Liverpool and city fans are heard singing their Munich chants…
Brian, disappointed that you think I wouldn’t. You never hear singing to that extent about Munich at anfield and if a few idiots try it, they would quickly be shouted down. I find it fairly sad that no united fan has condemned the singing, it wasn’t by just a few either.
so alan,
1. “disappointed that you think I wouldn’t.” – knowing that Liverpool fans have in fact sang Munich related songs can you please post links to were you have in fact been critical of this?
2. “You never hear singing to that extent about Munich at Anfield” – how exactly do you measure “the extent” of chants sung in bad taste? The loudness ( you have some way of measuring this and/or remembering and comparing to Munich related songs by Liverpool supporters)? The percentage of fans singing? The tone of the singing?
3.”they would quickly be shouted down” – Anfield fans have better morals than Manchester United fans?
4. “I find it fairly sad that no united fan has condemned the singing” – about half and hour after the game and only 9 comments in about a big match and you find it “‘sad” that this important event at the game hasn’t been addressed yet???
4. no utd fans shouted down these chants and no utd fans rushing on to thescore.ie to condemn it…alan, am i to believe, that in your heart, with all you have just said, that you believe that liverpool supporters are BETTER people than Man Utd fans? Honestly Alan?
Eh, so you’re not going to condemn then so
whatever makes you happy baron munchhausen…
I think you are painting the picture as to why so many people hate united.
And for the record I’ve spoken to a few utd fans this evening and all have condemned it. So they’re not all idiots
thank you, first of all, for addressing all my points made to you in the original comment.
i was merely pointing out that that all clubs have moron fans and that united aren’t any worse or better than liverpool fans. so many people hate utd fans for the same reason so many people hated liverpool fans in the 80′s and how so many people will hate man city or chelsea in the future.
I don’t need to address any points, what was sang tonight was disgusting, as are Munich, heysel, ibrox chants. You just found it more important to deflect attention.
yeah english soccer fans in disgusting chant shocker. thanks for the heads up…
Time to sell Rooney while he’s still worth something. Looks overweight and just not putting in a shift.
Poor display from utd their keeper had best match since joining
Textbook Scholesie tackle! That fat kid up front for United’s hair plugs have grown over the summer
Typical utd play two midfielders in defence and lose the match how many times have utd done that over the last few years- fergie buy a defender and shoot the twitter happy Ferdinand who’s over the hill and always injured
Will Fergie get banned for throwing that rattle on the pitch?
The first game if the season away to Everton, just paid €24 million pounds for Arsenals best player, lost the league title on the last kick of the game to their nearest and dearest, City, not 3 months ago and all that’s on their mind is Liverpool. I suppose it’s flattering really.
A disastrous start but Man U will still win the league.
Lmao yea you keep thinking that, where was the savior RVP????
Apparently he’s already handed in a transfer request, told Fergie he wants to win something this season
Lol
De Gea looking ropey again, doesn’t bode well for United’s season ahead, maybe they could get Gary Bailey to come out of retirement too
Put on a pair if glasses gaius de gea has been fantastic in the first half
you watching espn classic?
Everton 1 Manchester United 0, let’s be ‘avin ya!!!
At least United have got their toughest game of the season out of the way. Was always going to be tough with Carrick at centre back and Valencia at right back.
But Kagawa looked like he’s going to be a real star for them, I don’t think he gave the ball away once.
And they’ll still be there or thereabouts when the medals are being handed out next May.
You might be right but for a while tonight I thought I was watching Rugby – United having loads of possession and all backward passes. Of course Fergie will get the act together but a major improvement is required
Toughest game of the season. Everton is a harder game than city, Chelsea or and i can say Liverpool because you don’t win at Anfield that often. Ridiculous comment to make. Typical really, every united defeat is the same. Carrick at centre half, the best winger in the league at right back. Would suggest that the problems lay elsewhere other than 24 million for a striker that has averaged 12 goals a season since coming to England. Before you reply with the usual man united/sky sports opinion I am a Liverpool fan and we are atrocious but difference is im not completely delusional about where we are at.
Toughest game of the season? Not a hope in hell. City, Chelsea, Arsenal, Newcastle, Spurs would be bigger opponents than Everton I think
Won’t sleep a wink tonight. – like fcuk!!
Ask to leave the bar for my own safety as one other person and myself cheered as the beauty of a header went in :) had to stay after that great game utd didn’t show up at all.
of course fowlers gonna say that isn’t he. That nose plaster must ne a bit tight.
wat were they singing?
They were singing “If it weren’t for Scousers we could stand” in reference to the hillsborough disaster
Going to bed disappointed at the result but happy in the knowledge that liverpool will be wallowing in 8th or 9th place possibly lower and rodgers will more than likely be sacked by the end of the season!
Whos Wooton?
No dolce vita for united then….
Alas, not even Fatman and Robin could save MU. :-)