Royal Blue Mersey - Everton vs Manchester United: Premier League Matchday 22It's a grand old team to supporthttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/52544/royal_fav.png2018-01-03T09:00:01+00:00http://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/rss/stream/166057872018-01-03T09:00:01+00:002018-01-03T09:00:01+00:00Everton’s loss to Manchester United came with a familiar tactical flaw
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<figcaption>Photo credit should read PAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Big Sam was guilty of a cardinal sin that dates back to the Koeman reign</p> <p id="nx0487">When Sam Allardyce came to <a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton</a> in December, he inherited a strange situation.</p>
<p id="661SpK">The Toffees have a few very talented players, a host of promising youngsters, and a fair number of decent (if not spectacular) players with substantial Premier League experience. He also inherited a team missing both of its starting full-backs, a thin and aging center-back corps, and without a proven senior striker.</p>
<p id="SY2Nj3">The club’s blistering start under Big Sam didn’t negate those negative factors, and the recent run of poor results doesn’t negate the positive ones. </p>
<p id="GVuXnJ">Everton’s most recent setback — a 2-0 loss at home against <a href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/">Manchester United</a> — came as Allardyce not only failed to minimize the shortcomings of the squad he inherited, but actually exacerbated them.</p>
<p id="J2YqnZ">To look at this in more detail, let’s start by looking at Everton’s starting lineup against Jose Mourinho’s side.</p>
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<p id="z3vAgW">Most notably, Nikola Vlasic was handed a start on the right wing, with Oumar Niasse and Yannick Bolasie starting up top alongside him. </p>
<p id="gWuduv">Mason Holgate started at right-back, finally giving Jonjoe Kenny a rest after an interminably long stretch without a break for the youngster. Tom Davies also handed Idrissa Gueye a rest in the center of midfield.</p>
<p id="0Qxewd">That left some very important players — Gana, Kenny, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, <span>Aaron Lennon</span>, and Gylfi Sigurdsson — on the bench for what was always going to be a difficult match against a top team. Before I dig into the specifics of the tactics of this match, though, I do need to say a word about the exclusion of those players in this match. </p>
<p id="Y53f4S">There had to be a fair bit of rotation between the Bournemouth match on Saturday and the United match on Monday — that’s the nature of the holiday period in the Premier League. Yet, in the objectively easier match, Allardyce used Kenny, Gueye, Lennon, Sigurdsson, and Calvert-Lewin, all regular starters under his regime, knowing that they realistically could not start against United.</p>
<p id="FR0Zrk">If his thinking going into the two matches was “Well, I don’t know if we can beat United with our best XI anyway, so let’s go big in the Bournemouth match,” that wouldn’t have been the worst idea — three points is three points, regardless of who you get them against. </p>
<p id="kVvkDR"><strong>But as soon as the Bournemouth match went bad, Everton was in a tough spot, and always likely to get zero points from the two matches.</strong></p>
<p id="b9bxpY">In short, Sam had a tough job in finding enough capable players to play two matches in three days on a team that lacks depth at several positions, particularly given the injuries at full-back. He could have done a better job of selecting personnel in both matches, but I’m willing to grant him amnesty on that count because of the difficulty of the job.</p>
<p id="7qy6uE">Instead, let’s now focus on his usage of the personnel he selected, rather than the selection itself.</p>
<p id="cajfSv">Everton utilized a plan that’s worked well under Allardyce thus far — putting a true winger on one side of the attack (Bolasie) opposite a more central player on the opposite wing (Vlasic), with <span>Wayne Rooney</span> playing in the midfield between them.</p>
<p id="4kkOcp">The idea is to create one of two scenarios:</p>
<ol>
<li id="N4zloH"><strong>1-v-1 situations with the true winger, Bolasie, against the opposing full-back. Let that player simply try to pull something off, get to the endline, and whip crosses in or pull passes back.</strong></li>
<li id="I7tEwS"><strong>Allow the opposite winger, Vlasic, to come central and combine with Rooney, creating space for the full-back to get forward in the vacated wide area.</strong></li>
</ol>
<p id="kWbmbF">Unfortunately for Everton, neither plan worked, though for different reasons.</p>
<p id="63LCay">(1) failed for reasons that seems entirely avoidable. For whatever reason, every time Bolasie got the ball down the left wing against out-of-position Victor Lindelof, Niasse drifted from his central position to that wing, dragging a center-back along with him and depriving the Congolese winger of space to work.</p>
<p id="jfGETG">I don’t know why Niasse did it — it could have been his own failure to understand the system, or a poor direction from Allardyce. Either way, look at Yannick’s heatmap (courtesy of <a href="http://EvertonFC.com">EvertonFC.com</a>) from the first half for a clearer picture.</p>
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<p id="dSFlpl">Yala got the ball plenty 35-40 yards from goal, but couldn’t carry it any deeper because Niasse occupied that space.</p>
<p id="LQsy4C">Niasse was better about spacing himself in the second half, but United dominated minutes 45-60, after which Bolasie left the match. Lennon came on in his place to play a similar role, but he simply isn’t as talented in those situations.</p>
<p id="GyV5Mq">So, that forced Everton down the right — a lot. Take a look at how the team’s final third possession was broken down by channel.</p>
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<p id="4f844L">That’s nearly 44% of the attack coming down the right wing, which on its own isn’t a bad thing. The Toffees have had success in the past with similar breakdowns, but only with the right personnel available.</p>
<p id="S1OzOW">This brings us to (2) from above: <strong>Allow the opposite winger, Vlasic, to come central and combine with Rooney, creating space for the full-back to get forward in the vacated wide area.</strong></p>
<p id="PMAcam">Vlasic got on the ball a fair bit in the final third, and showcased what he can do when given an opportunity to play. He’s not a true winger, lacking the pace and athleticism you look for in that role, but he’s more than creative enough to come inside from a wide starting position and do damage.</p>
<p id="ZX4vDw">That drift toward the center of the pitch creates open space along the touchline for the full-back to get forward, work behind the opposing full-back, and create offense along the endline. </p>
<p id="ywHk4y">That duty fell to...<strong>Mason Holgate</strong>.</p>
<p id="S0siZr">Here’s a few fun facts about Mason Holgate in the attack:</p>
<ul>
<li id="GMmC14">He has one assist in 33 matches across the Premier League and Europa League.</li>
<li id="LP17L2">He has completed 67.1% of his passes in Premier League play this season, the worst of any non-forward or goalkeeper Everton player.</li>
<li id="5JSBYH">According to <a href="https://www.whoscored.com/Players/297544/History/Mason-Holgate">WhoScored.com</a>, he has completed only 9 of the 59 crosses he has attempted in his career, a 15.25% completion percentage. By comparison, Jonjoe Kenny has completed 11 of his 34 crosses in his career, a 32.35% completion percentage.</li>
</ul>
<p id="d95uLl">So, it shouldn’t surprise you that forcing attacks through Mason Holgate didn’t work out for Everton. Take a look at his passmap for the match.</p>
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<p id="R8I4Z6">Holgate did manage two key passes — one difficult-to-finish cross to Oumar Niasse (put wide), and one flubbed pass to Tom Davies (who was tightly covered and had his shot blocked).</p>
<p id="dnhwfT">The map doesn’t quite capture his consistently unsure nature on the ball, his poor first touches, or his questionable attacking positioning — and it certainly doesn’t have a graphic for “horrific throw-ins leading directly to an opponent’s goal.”</p>
<p id="aJmzF4">If this sounds familiar, it should. <span>Ronald Koeman</span> did the <strong>same thing </strong>in Everton’s away match against United in September, just with Cuco Martina instead of Mason Holgate.</p>
<p id="3FamcN">It’s easy to be upset at Holgate for those struggles, but Big Sam simply should not have put the English defender in that situation. If the plan for this match was to use Vlasic, he should have been paired with Kenny, and Holgate should have started at right-back against Bournemouth instead.</p>
<p id="DVxTK6">The positive takeaway for Everton, however, is that the combination of Vlasic and Rooney, much like the combination of Sigurdsson and Rooney, is capable of creating space in which other players can thrive. </p>
<p class="c-end-para" id="iEUocn">It falls on Allardyce to ensure the players who surround Everton’s more creative central players are capable of effectively utilizing the space created for them.</p>
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2018/1/3/16841886/everton-manchester-united-recap-reaction-tactical-analysis-sam-allardyce-mason-holgate-no-good-trashAdam.Braun2018-01-02T08:00:02+00:002018-01-02T08:00:02+00:00Three Thoughts: Everton vs Manchester United
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<img alt="Everton v Manchester United - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/poeq5hTrIQNj9YE07jD3bSj_9Kw=/0x0:2346x1564/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58173741/900304608.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Chris Brunskill Ltd/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Three Thoughts from frustrating loss</p> <h1 id="kxJhVC">
<a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton</a> need a real striker</h1>
<p id="gdP3a7">This is stating the obvious, but Everton’s striker situation is not ideal. Dominic Calvert-Lewin has done a decent job doing the little things the position requires, but he still has time before he is a reliable contributor. Conversely, Oumar Niasse has cooled off and proven to be bad at everything required of a striker.</p>
<p id="CY7AU6">Everton have reportedly found their man in Turkish striker Cenk Tosun, but nothing is settled until there is a picture of him holding an Everton kit. Regardless of what happens with the Tosun transfer, striker is clearly the biggest need for Everton. </p>
<p id="H8P5z6"><a href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/">Manchester United</a> may have some of the best attacking talent in the Premier League, but Everton gave them a run for their money. Unfortunately for Everton, they were unable to capitalize on the openings United were giving them. The opportunities Everton did have were often ruined by horrible first touches and sloppy giveaways. Everton have proven they can defend, now they need to bring in someone who can score. </p>
<aside id="wA1wNM"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Besiktas increase asking price for Cenk Tosun, transfer to Everton at risk again","url":"https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2018/1/1/16838784/everton-transfer-rumours-cenk-tosun-besiktas-price-raised-striker-needed-allardyce-news-latest"},{"title":"Man of the Match and Player Grades Poll for Everton vs Manchester United","url":"https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2018/1/1/16838726/man-of-the-match-player-grades-poll-for-everton-manchester-united-0-2-loss-recap"}]}'></div></aside><h1 id="PIAjWS">Surprising contribution from the bench</h1>
<p id="yeWbpG">I must admit, I was not exactly overjoyed by the addition of <span>James McCarthy</span> in the 62nd minute. The once high expectations for the midfielder have vanished thanks to a seemingly endless run of hamstring injuries. So imagine the surprise when McCarthy came in and had a positive effect on the match. </p>
<p id="wepC57">Doing his best Idrissa Gueye impression, McCarthy was throwing himself around the pitch breaking up United’s attack and moving the ball to Everton’s playmakers. McCarthy clearly has a chip on his shoulder after his extended absence and wants to prove to <span>Sam Allardyce</span> that he can contribute something to this squad, and the crowd responded to the player’s energy as well. </p>
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<img alt="Everton v Manchester United - Premier League" data-mask-text="false" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/V41oQPmDb9qbKq7H91Hz_I90aFY=/400x0/filters:no_upscale()/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/9960681/900304598.jpg.jpg">
<cite>Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images</cite>
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<h1 id="LoaPFy">Everton fail to capitalize on wounded United</h1>
<p id="qVm8Ws">The absence of <span>Romelu Lukaku</span> and Zlatan Ibrahimovic was big news coming into this match. This was a great opportunity for Everton to steal some points from the second best team in the league. Everton proved they could limit the damage caused by top table teams after their draw against <a href="https://weaintgotnohistory.sbnation.com/">Chelsea</a>. And despite a valiant effort on defense, they were unable to keep United at bay for too long.</p>
<p id="c3d233">We know what we are getting from an Allardyce-led team, but his offensive acumen still leaves a lot to be determined. Granted, the players at his disposal are not ideal, but that does not excuse yet another match with zero shots on target, and one goal in the last four games. Even as Everton looked to claw their way back into the match late in the second half, they were still unable to force <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/david-de-gea-transfer-rumours-news">David De Gea</a> to make a single save. </p>
<p id="sXkmg1">This Everton squad may not be an endless well of attacking talent, but there are enough playmakers on this squad that even one or more shots on goal should not be a huge ask. </p>
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2018/1/2/16838610/everton-manchester-united-0-2-recap-martial-lingard-goals-pogba-dominant-allardyce-striker-desperatemralbaugh2018-01-02T06:00:01+00:002018-01-02T06:00:01+00:00Allardyce: Both goals down to our errors
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<img alt="2018 EPL Premier League Football Everton v Man Utd Jan 1st" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/OugVk35XZMAH1t4fqX0zlXIqB28=/0x0:1366x911/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58173855/900333004.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by David Blunsden/Action Plus via Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Manager’s comments after another insipid attacking performance</p> <p id="TVDPts">After a 2-0 loss at home to start off 2018 on a very wrong note, <a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton</a> manager <span>Sam Allardyce</span> started off speaking about the club’s search for a top class striker, which seems to have been focused on Turkish forward Cenk Tosun over the last few days. </p>
<blockquote>
<p id="J8gPrc"> “Obviously, we need a bigger goalscoring threat than we’ve got at the moment and that may help us in many ways to achieve more results and certainly will if whoever we get scores goals.</p>
<p id="f0UBik">“We need to strengthen our frontline - I think we all know that. We’re trying to do the hardest job of all by securing a player in that position. It wasn’t achieved before the season and it may not be achieved this January, but we’re trying.”</p>
</blockquote>
<aside id="eCXxyM"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Besiktas increase asking price for Cenk Tosun, transfer to Everton at risk again","url":"https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2018/1/1/16838784/everton-transfer-rumours-cenk-tosun-besiktas-price-raised-striker-needed-allardyce-news-latest"},{"title":"WATCH: All Cenk Tosun’s goals for Besiktas in the Super Lig & Champions League","url":"https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2017/12/28/16826014/watch-all-cenk-tosun-goals-video-besiktas-super-lig-champions-league-transfer-everton-striker"}]}'></div></aside><p id="Bq76rn">He added that he was frustrated by the number of errors made by his side. </p>
<blockquote>
<p id="hwds7S">“Until that happens, we have got to maintain our defensive solidity and I was very disappointed how we conceded the two goals by really giving them the opportunity to score when we didn’t need to. Both goals were down to our errors, really, rather than <a href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/">Manchester United</a>’s great play. </p>
<p id="FZlV3Z">“When they picked up the ball just outside their half after we’ve given it away, they went from one end of the pitch to the edge of our 18-yard box with five or six of our players behind the ball - but not any of those players decided to go and challenge the ball and shut the opposition down. Ultimately, in the end, we end up with five of our players six yards inside our own box where they shouldn’t be and by the time someone decided to shut Martial down, he’s put it in the back of the net. That was very avoidable in the first place, from basic defending.”</p>
</blockquote>
<aside id="GWwcoE"><div data-anthem-component="readmore" data-anthem-component-data='{"stories":[{"title":"Manchester United 2-0 Everton: Ineffective","url":"https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2018/1/1/16838550/manchester-united-everton-final-score-results-recap-highlights-goals-wayne-rooney-anthony-martial"},{"title":"Man of the Match and Player Grades Poll for Everton vs Manchester United","url":"https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2018/1/1/16838726/man-of-the-match-player-grades-poll-for-everton-manchester-united-0-2-loss-recap"}]}'></div></aside><p id="X4n6fr">The manager made a controversial substitution in the second half, pulling off an ineffective <span>Wayne Rooney</span> playing against his former club, and bringing on <span>James McCarthy</span> with the Blues seeking goals. </p>
<blockquote>
<p id="Llw251">“We recovered from going a goal down. James McCarthy, for me, was the shining light of the recovery, because he actually went and tackled somebody and showed the rest of our team how we had to go about our job.</p>
<p id="VGoa99">“We’d worked our way back into the game. We looked a threat again which we hadn’t for that 20-minute period in the second half and the game was in the balance with 10 minutes to go.</p>
<p id="wYop1Y">“We have a throw-in, in our half, and we throw it straight to Manchester United and they go and score. Maybe it’s fatigue with all the games we’ve played, maybe it’s a lack of concentration - but certainly it will not go without me dealing with those sort of situations when I get the opportunity to do so.</p>
<p id="eMZHgI">“Overall, I don’t think the performance was too bad apart that 20-minute or so spell in the second half. We’ve got to keep trying to improve and grow from here.”</p>
</blockquote>
<p id="tnvtrf"></p>
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2018/1/2/16835212/everton-manchester-united-0-2-match-recap-manager-reaction-allardyce-need-a-striker-defensive-errorsCalvin2018-01-01T19:37:55+00:002018-01-01T19:37:55+00:00Man of the Match and Player Grades Poll for Everton vs Manchester United
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<img alt="Everton v Manchester United - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/B9NdGSBAA23Ja__X0bWF3Or5MtU=/0x0:3053x2035/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58170879/900308496.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Chris Brunskill Ltd/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Grade the Everton players and manager on their performance today</p> <h1 id="k6zWnV">Lineups</h1>
<h3 id="Zz6RPN"><a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton</a></h3>
<p id="HBo89P"><strong>Starting XI </strong>- Pickford; Martina, Williams, Keane, Holgate; Schneiderlin, Davies; Bolasie, Rooney, Vlasic; Niasse</p>
<p id="MVQ6y2"><strong>Subs:</strong> Robles, Jagielka, Lennon, McCarthy, Sigurdsson, Calvert-Lewin, Kenny</p>
<h3 id="hYm7g5"><a href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/">Manchester United</a></h3>
<p id="curC6F"><strong>Starting XI </strong>- De Gea, Lindelof, Jones, Rojo, Shaw; Herrera, Matic, Pogba; Mata, Martial, Lingard</p>
<p id="jQKdJX"><strong>Subs:</strong> Romero, Blind, Darmian, Mkhitaryan, Smalling, Tuanzebe, Rashford</p>
<h1 id="w0b01j">Final Verdict:</h1>
<p id="UGoOdK">Everton put together the best first half of football we’ve seen from them this season, but the lack of a good striker killed the Blues as half-chances didn’t get turned into anything. </p>
<p id="BatsWO">United sped away in the second half led by Pogba as they dominated the game for long periods, and capped off the 2-0 win two excellently-taken goals from Martial and Lingard. </p>
<hr class="p-entry-hr" id="BALGSw">
<p id="FCS5f7">Who was your Man of the Match? Vote on the player grades here on how they did. </p>
<p id="Qm0i1Q"><em>If this poll is not showing up on your screen, please </em><a href="https://goo.gl/forms/52pAUItXFu2Isetw2"><em>click here</em></a><em> to go and grade the players - we apologize for the inconvenience.</em></p>
<div id="dGrU8x"><iframe src="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdMM4uV01dNL2SKMoaQ1fjzIkH2F4jF8wJF5QDjWeMMpoNUdg/viewform?embedded=true" width="100%" height="800" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0">Loading...</iframe></div>
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2018/1/1/16838726/man-of-the-match-player-grades-poll-for-everton-manchester-united-0-2-loss-recapCalvin2018-01-01T19:21:29+00:002018-01-01T19:21:29+00:00Manchester United 2-0 Everton: Ineffective
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<img alt="FBL-ENG-PR-EVERTON-MAN UTD" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/CZhvpj11NJlf_RyTWQI-9_gsdqA=/4x0:4924x3280/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58170727/900305326.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo credit should read PAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images</figcaption>
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<p>Blues try hard but still lack the quality needed. </p> <p id="SjR397"><a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton</a> lost their second consecutive match today, falling 2-0 to <a href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/">Manchester United</a> at Goodison Park. The Blues showed an interest in attacking the game, which was refreshing, but a howler of an afternoon from Mason Holgate and an ineffectiveness in front of goal resulted in a deserved loss.</p>
<ul>
<li id="pzLBFY">Everton played the first half as brightly as any 45 minutes all season. Yannick Bolasie and Nikola Vlasic were filled with clever tricks and attacking verve, but no end product whatsoever. At the least, it was encouraging to see the Blues go after someone in attack. </li>
<li id="tnF24A">Bolasie in particular was excellent going forward, including a double homicide of Nemanja Matic and Marcos Rojo. Problem is, Yala isn’t fully fit, and Everton needed more quality in front of goal to make the Congolese winger’s hard work pay off. </li>
<li id="iQF1HY">It was probably the best performances of the season from Cuco Martina and Tom Davies. Martina did well to shackle the threats of Lingard and Mata, while Davies showed a discipline and ability on the ball he’s been missing. </li>
<li id="HE987Y">Unfortunately, due to fatigue, game plan, or both, the Blues came out in the second half decidedly on the back foot. That was illustrated by the the decision to remove <span>Wayne Rooney</span> for <span>James McCarthy</span> when down a goal, but the problems arose before that. <br><br>Mason Holgate was absolutely incapable of dealing with any attacker, and a bad turnover in midfield led to a free shot on Pickford by Anthony Martial that landed past <span>Jordan Pickford</span>. </li>
<li id="NEcDxU">Everton had a good go in the final twenty minutes or so, but here again, the lack of final product from the forwards and creativity from the fullbacks betrayed them. </li>
<li id="yC4hlw">That failure to score during a good five or ten minute stretch allowed United to open the game back up, and <span>Jesse Lingard</span> made Everton pay by skipping past Holgate and firing past Pickford. </li>
</ul>
<p id="mBJljh">Between Saturday and today, any questions about whether or not the Blues need to invest during the newly-opened <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/transfer-rumors">transfer window</a> should be gone. A striker is needed, a left back is needed, and for the love of God, come back soon, Seamus. </p>
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2018/1/1/16838550/manchester-united-everton-final-score-results-recap-highlights-goals-wayne-rooney-anthony-martialevertonchris2018-01-01T16:34:24+00:002018-01-01T16:34:24+00:00Everton vs Manchester United: Gamethread
<figure>
<img alt="Manchester United v Everton - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/BpQx6AOkpN-mDbk3EMjSDh0q3Q8=/0x0:3771x2514/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58167723/848429602.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The Toffees look to kick off 2018 with three points over the big boys!</p> <p id="wJHHqA">The loss to Bournemouth earlier this week was a killer. Those were points that <a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton</a> likely counted on. Now, they have to host <a href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/">Manchester United</a>, and hope to pull points from Jose “Park the Bus” Mourinho. It’s not impossible, but it feels damn close.</p>
<p id="U9pWjc">This is the second meeting between these two sides in this campaign. Back in September, the Red Devils stomped the Toffees 4-0, with goals coming from <span>Antonio Valencia</span>, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, <span>Romelu Lukaku</span> and Anthony Martial.</p>
<p id="bspqVl">However, this is now a United team that is struggling with health and depth. This was expected to be a homecoming for Lukaku, but a nasty head injury last time out likely means that he will remain on the sidelines for this one.</p>
<h1 id="tj4rzW">Match Details</h1>
<p id="Tn0k5V"><strong>Date and start time:</strong> Monday, January 1st at 9:30 a.m. PT / 12:30 p.m ET / 5:30 p.m. BST</p>
<p id="jLb1aE"><strong>Stadium:</strong> Goodison Park, <a href="https://liverpooloffside.sbnation.com/">Liverpool</a>, England</p>
<p id="sd4UgU"><strong>Capacity: </strong>40,157</p>
<p id="jWmOa0"><strong>Weather: </strong>45°F/7°C, wind and rain, 61% chance of precipitation, 27 mph winds</p>
<h1 id="NylbZy">How to Watch/Listen</h1>
<p id="ZqDVb5"><strong>TV:</strong> NBCSN - <em>United States</em><em>; </em>Sky Sports Premier League <em>- </em> <em>United Kingdom</em></p>
<p id="mGBAfE"><strong>Radio: </strong>BBC Radio 5, SiriusXM FC,<strong> </strong>Everton Match Centre, TalkSport Radio World</p>
<p id="W4aiBF"><strong>Live stream:</strong> <a href="http://NBCSports.com">NBCSports.com</a>, SKY GO, NOW TV,</p>
<p id="FsYgq9"><strong>Gamethread:</strong> Comments section below starting one hour before game time</p>
<p id="eB2O1I"><a href="http://www.livesoccertv.com/match/2502938/everton-vs-manchester-united/">Information from LiveSoccerTV.com</a></p>
<h1 id="k6zWnV">Lineups</h1>
<h3 id="Zz6RPN">Everton</h3>
<p id="HBo89P"><strong>Starting XI </strong>- Pickford; Martina, Williams, Keane, Holgate; Schneiderlin, Davies; Bolasie, Rooney, Vlasic; Niasse</p>
<p id="MVQ6y2"><strong>Subs:</strong> Robles, Jagielka, Lennon, McCarthy, Sigurdsson, Calvert-Lewin, Kenny</p>
<h3 id="hYm7g5">Manchester United</h3>
<p id="curC6F"><strong>Starting XI </strong>- De Gea, Lindelof, Jones, Rojo, Shaw; Herrera, Matic, Pogba; Mata, Martial, Lingard </p>
<p id="dlWdTA"><strong>Subs:</strong> Romero, Blind, Darmian, Mkhitaryan, Smalling, Tuanzebe, Rashford</p>
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2018/1/1/16837546/everton-manchester-united-start-time-lineups-tv-schedule-live-stream-how-to-watch-online-2018_TyYoung2018-01-01T09:00:01+00:002018-01-01T09:00:01+00:00Struggling Everton face injury-depleted Manchester United: Injury Report
<figure>
<img alt="Manchester United v Everton - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/FHFxnabPAzg_XJFPGk0aZdeFlSM=/0x0:4731x3154/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58168027/848570102.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Who’s in and who’s out for New Year’s Day clash at Goodison</p> <p id="lmMV9L">Quick turnaround for <a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/">Everton</a> after the defeat at <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/afc-bournemouth">AFC Bournemouth</a> on Saturday, with the Blues hosting <a href="https://thebusbybabe.sbnation.com/">Manchester United</a> on New Year’s Day at Goodison Park. The Saturday game marked three straight poor offensive showings for the Toffees, and was also the first defeat of new manager Sam Allardyce’s tenure. </p>
<p id="KhhNca"></p>
<p id="eZ3U3E">Idrissa Gueye appeared to have recovered from his ailment and played in Saturday’s fixture against the Cherries. James McCarthy marked his return to the squad playing the first half of that game, but was abysmal at best and will likely drop to the bench. </p>
<p id="0NkLn9">Yannick Bolasie continues to be given some minutes to regain his match fitness, and should feature again today. </p>
<p id="mFME3G"></p>
<p id="XmzB9L">Blues have been eagerly waiting to see <span>Romelu Lukaku</span> return to Goodison with the Red Devils, more so because of how he taunted the away fans at Old Trafford after scoring in the first leg of this fixture. However, the Belgian forward will miss this game after picking up a head injury in the last game and getting stretchered off. </p>
<p id="PaBiAz">Fellow striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is out too with a recurrence of a knee injury. <span>Ashley Young</span> is suspended for three games after being charged with violent conduct in elbowing <a href="https://stmarysmusings.sbnation.com/">Southampton's</a> Dusan Tadic. </p>
<p id="lRKhjR"><span>Michael Carrick</span>, <span>Marouane Fellaini</span> and Eric Bailly are also out with injuries, while <span>Chris Smalling</span>, <span>Antonio Valencia</span> and Matteo Darmian are all doubtful. </p>
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2018/1/1/16837628/struggling-everton-face-injury-depleted-manchester-united-injury-report-lukaku-ibrahimovic-youngCalvin2018-01-01T07:00:02+00:002018-01-01T07:00:02+00:00Monday’s Toffee Bites: Everton must prove themselves against Manchester United
<figure>
<img alt="AFC Bournemouth v Everton - Premier League" src="https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/YSOaVH51qIxfgiuaFEmbxZYtdM0=/168x0:5424x3504/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/58167671/899896270.jpg.0.jpg" />
<figcaption>Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In today’s links: quotes from Mourinho and Allardyce, Everton’s kit and the Toffees rebuild</p> <p id="uFcp0y">Happy New Year, <a href="https://www.stlouisgametime.com/">Blues</a>! Let’s be honest, 2017 was a bit of a letdown. <span>Ronald Koeman</span> spent a ton of money, brought in a fresh batch of talent, the team fell flat and the Dutchman was fired. Here’s hoping 2018 works out a bit better! Fingers crossed.</p>
<h3 id="wVhdKo"><strong>In case you missed it</strong></h3>
<p id="EjyR8F"><a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2017/12/31/16834280/everton-transfer-rumours-target-cenk-tosun-has-traveled-to-england-london-holiday-news-latest">Everton transfer target Cenk Tosun has traveled to England</a><br>Deal not sealed as yet, but getting closer.</p>
<p id="XYYPjl"><a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2017/12/31/16827350/everton-2017-premier-league-review-ronald-koeman-sam-allardyce-wayne-rooney-jordan-pickford">Everton Review of the Year - Part Two</a><br>The RBM team conclude their look back at 2017.</p>
<p id="ShW38M"><a href="https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2017/12/31/16833408/bournemouth-everton-2-1-match-recap-managers-comments-news-latest">Big Sam’s negative tactics at Everton are irritating the fans no end</a><br>Blues well off the pace in sorry showing on the South Coast.</p>
<h3 id="6LfKcP"><strong>Monday’s Toffee Bites</strong></h3>
<p id="dTOkKA"><a href="http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/everton-wear-different-kit-home-14097251">Everton will wear a different kit at home to Manchester United - Liverpool Echo</a><br>Blues won't have SportPesa on their shirts for New Year's Day fixture.</p>
<p id="tEcPXY"><a href="http://www.dailypost.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/allardyce-rebuilding-everton-fc-take-14097692">Allardyce: Rebuilding Everton FC will take until next season - Daily Post</a><br>The Blues suffered their first defeat under the former England manager as they went down 2-1 at Bournemouth.</p>
<p id="8Ojm2p"><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/dec/31/everton-new-stadium-costs-escalate-2022-target-bramley-moore-dock">Everton’s new stadium costs ‘escalate significantly’ with 2022 target - The Guardian</a><br>Everton have confirmed the costs of their proposed new stadium at Bramley Moore dock have ‘escalated significantly’ and they now intend to move for the start of the 2022-23 season.</p>
<p id="klSHkK"><a href="http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11671/11190387/sam-allardyce-calls-for-everton-improvement-against-man-united">Sam Allardyce calls for Everton improvement against Man United - Sky Sports</a><br>Everton boss Sam Allardyce warned his players they must improve on their display against Bournemouth if they are to get a result against Manchester United.</p>
<p id="343rZW"><a href="https://www.thenational.ae/sport/football/trip-to-everton-amounts-to-a-damage-limitation-exercise-for-jose-mourinho-s-manchester-united-1.691923">Everton trip amounts to a damage-limitation for Mourinho's United - The National</a><br>Manager believes fortune has deserted his side following three successive draws. With injuries mounting, it seems a fourth is as much as United are hoping for at Goodison.</p>
<div id="AGUX9j"><div style="left: 0; width: 100%; height: 0; position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.2493%;"><iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yGkM2_h8HHM?rel=0&" style="border: 0; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;" allowfullscreen="" scrolling="no"></iframe></div></div>
<h3 id="ckpE1A">What and How to Watch</h3>
<p id="RvxWXa"><strong>Premier League:</strong> Brighton & Hove Albion vs Bournemouth, 7:30 a.m. ET, NBCSN<br><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/burnley-fc">Burnley</a> vs Liverpool, 10 a.m. ET, NBCSN<br><a href="https://fosseposse.sbnation.com/">Leicester City</a> vs Huddersfield Town, 10 a.m. ET, NBC Sports Gold<br><a href="http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/epl/teams/stoke-city">Stoke City</a> vs <a href="https://cominghomenewcastle.sbnation.com/">Newcastle</a>, 10 a.m. ET, CNBC<br>Everton vs Manchester United<br><strong>NHL: </strong><a href="https://www.blueshirtbanter.com/">Rangers</a> at <a href="https://www.diebytheblade.com/">Sabres</a>, 1 p.m. ET, NBC</p>
<p id="fkh1Ye"><em><strong>Thanks for your continued support of Royal Blue Mersey! </strong></em><br><em><strong>Follow us: </strong></em><a href="https://facebook.com/rbmersey"><em><strong>Facebook</strong></em></a><em><strong> / </strong></em><a href="https://twitter.com/rbmersey"><em><strong>Twitter</strong></em></a><em><strong> / </strong></em><a href="https://instagram.com/rbmersey"><em><strong>Instagram</strong></em></a></p>
https://royalbluemersey.sbnation.com/2018/1/1/16837540/everton-transfer-rumours-news-man-united-striker-stadium-premier-league-bournemouth-rebuild-2018_TyYoung