Manchester United were far from their best at Goodison Park when they picked up a point after a 2-2 draw with Everton.
It was another discouraging performance from Manchester United in the Premier League because Ruben Amorim’s side only got going in the final 20 minutes.
The Reds failed to register a shot on target until the 70-minute mark when Bruno Fernandes pulled one back from a free-kick to make it 2-1. It wasn’t until minutes later Manuel Ugarte’s half-volley reached the back of the net to equalise.
There was even more drama towards the end when it looked like Everton had been awarded a penalty kick in stoppage time, only for VAR to intervene. That overruling saved United a point but the performance will not go down too fondly in the memory of travelling fans, who were in fine voice on their final-ever visit to Goodison Park.
We fully expect pundits up and down the country to tear strips out of United in the coming days for their lacklustre performance.
Rio Ferdinand concerning assessment of Man Utd players
Rio Ferdinand provided match coverage for TNT Sports as United took a point from their travels at Goodison Park.
Speaking after the match, Ferdinand did not cut a happy figure and looked bewildered by United’s performance.
Ferdinand aimed at the players for not going the extra mile and being overrun by yet another opponent in the top flight.
“Are you understanding when you are meant to run and are you will to roll up your sleeves and run hard? Run hard over the course of 90 minutes.
“We’ve had to wait to Man United to get a goal from the talisman, the inspirational Bruno Fernandes, and then they woke up. Then they were running.
“That’s not good enough.”
Duncan Ferguson weighs in with his view that members of United’s first-team have simply slipped into bad habits. That forces Ferdinand to sarcastically ask: “Did you need to be told to run?”
That is a damning assessment of the current team they seem unable to do the minimum each week.
Ruben Amorim wants rid of certain players
In the same post-match assessment, Ferdinand dived deeper with his views on the team since Amorim took change in November.
The former United defender, who interviewed Amorim this week, believes the United head coach has players he doesn’t want at Old Trafford.
Ferdinand added: “There are players there – I’m sure – that he doesn’t want. He thinks they’re deadwood but he’s got to work with them.
“Maybe that’s why he didn’t want to come during the season. Maybe that’s why he wanted to delay and come in the summer, but you’re not often offered the opportunity to come to Man United.
“They gave him an ultimatum and he said ‘right, I got to take it.’”
Ferdinand concluded: “The league table doesn’t lie.”
That tends to be the case whenever there is a change in management. A new manager with fresh ideas who wants his own players.
However, Amorim must make the most of what he has until the remainder of the season.
That’s why he had to call upon Chido Obi from the bench for a second week running.
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