Manchester United youngster Maenno made his first league start and showed energy
The key to the game is my own play. I can see the mentality of the opponent and I can see that they are angry about being penalized. But at the end of the day, we have to focus on our performance. If they get angry, maybe that's going to be the motivation for them to play – we have to meet those standards. If our performance meets these criteria, we have a good chance of winning the game. —Ten Hag, 24 November.
What happens when Manchester United, who have been in good form in the league, arrives at the disgruntled Goodison Park stadium?This is the problem that United will face after the November international break. Garnacho's brilliant barb in the third minute set the tone for Ten Hag's side. United should have had some apprehension about a trip to Goodison after Everton's penalty, and although they did waver a bit at some point, they didn't let themselves collapse.
The concern is that United, who tend to concede goals in a row and are prone to collapse under heavy pressure, may not be able to cope with the frenzied atmosphere at Goodison Park. Ten Hag's one-match ban and inability to be on the sidelines to watch the game and make timely adjustments has complicated an already tricky game. Everton fans were unhappy with the extent of their club's losses, which were deducted 10 points above the Premier League's stated amount of £19.5 million ($24.6 million), and continued to wave pink cards with the word "corruption" written on them for much of the pre-match ceremony to ** the Premier League's decision.
Manchester United kept their cool composure at a crucial moment in the game. When the Everton fans made a move in the 10th minute – waving posters and boos – Onana opted to slow the pace of the game, keep the ball at his feet and constantly review his options when organising attacks at the back.
Maienno was the X-factor for United's game, earning his first Premier League start. The 18-year-old impressed in the early stages of the pre-season tour before being forced to take a break after spraining his ankle against Real Madrid. He has been waiting for a long time to start and has become the metronome of Manchester United's midfield.
With United's captain Fernandes and current top scorer Scott McTominay in midfield, the young midfielder will not be able to take on defensive duties further down the pitch and link up with the centre-backs. Maenno was primarily responsible for the team's playmaking attack, and he did an excellent job in 71 minutes before being replaced by Amrabat.
As you can see from his passing map, he completed 34 passes in the game, most of which focused on organising the attack and maintaining possession in difficult conditions. Ten Hag has been keen for Maiennor to be the link between the team's defence and the front four dominated by Fernandes, and to prioritise quick counter-attacks.
He's very capable. Speaking after the game, Ten Hag said of the youngster, who was making his first Premier League start, saying: 'It was a very disappointing moment for him and our team to get injured in pre-season because I knew he could have improved more if he had played as many games as he did today. I know he's going to improve very quickly – especially given his age, and we think it's time for him to show his talent. ”
We've given him the stage and he's done well. Now he needs to use that as a starting point and redouble his efforts. ”
Maienno's running ability and his performance on half-turns to catch the ball gave United a much-needed vigour. This has been lacking in many of United's games this season, including the previous ones. Although he is not the perfect solution to Ten Hag's long-term problems, he can be seen as the right person to comb through midfield.
He also made a crucial clearance in the crucial moments of the game: when McNeil's shot rolled towards Gueye, he saved what looked like he was going to concede.
Manchester United dug out Maienno when he was still playing for junior club Cheadle & Gatley near Stockport and recruited him into their academy. In May 2022, he signed his first professional contract with Manchester United.
Speaking to TA last year, Manchester United Under-21 boss Travis Pingnon said: "Maienno's strengths are close-range possession, good awareness and great physicality. He was excellent in both boxes and was very effective. He has a great mix of skills. ”
Garnacho's brilliant curling strike gave United an early lead, but it was a team determined to fight for their fans for much of the first half that left the Reds flanked. Calvert-Lewin likes to go head-to-head with Victor Lindelof, while McNeil and Mikolenko have thoroughly restrained Rashford, who has underperformed. The cheers of the fans, the fireworks and the noise of all kinds sent Goodison Park into a frenzy, and referee John Brooks found that his every decision was taunted by the "corrupt" voices of the home fans. Manchester United were in control of the tension on the pitch;When they found that Everton's pressing was making things difficult, they were willing to pass the ball back to Onana to reorganise the attack and keep the formation stable.
Sometimes you have to adjust and be more pragmatic," Ten Hag said of the multiple lateral passes between Maienno and the centre-backs and the way Fernandes attacked up front, 'but if we have players on the pitch, we can fill the positions with the players we have. I know we can play very good football. We wanted to make the organisation of the attack more fluid – and we saw that in the first and third goals. We want to be more proactive both with and without the ball. ”
Luke Shaw has recovered from a muscle injury and was more about helping the team move the attack forward in his third league game of the season. Although his performances have remained somewhat inconsistent, United have been excellent overall – which is understandable given some off-field factors.
The VAR ruled that Ashley Young had fouled Anthony Martial in the box and gave Rashford a chance to regain his confidence from the penalty spot. Marcus Rashford duly capitalised on the opportunity in the 56th minute to open the scoring and Anthony Martial added the icing on the cake for United in the 75th minute with a third goal. It was the first time this season that Ten Hag's side won the league by more than one goal. Although the team's performance is still not at the level Ten Hag demands, they have picked up the most points in the Premier League since the start of October.
The away Manchester United fans gave a cheer to Maienno. Gary Neville believes he is United's best performer of the game, and even former Manchester United's midfield stalwart and current commentator Roy Keane has been impressed with him.
He was outstanding. "It's a great start for him." We hope he can stay away from injury and play more games for Manchester United because he looked like the kind of player that United needed today – good, brave and courageous. ”
An unexpected ankle injury meant United fans, coaches and commentators alike had to wait for Maiennault to make his league debut, and when that moment came, Maiennault impressively blended the energy of a young man with the precision of a veteran.