Match Preview

Predicting the Everton team is about as difficult as working out what Walter will be thinking — i.e. nigh on impossible, though given our injury situation I think Walter may have very few choices.

Last season saw United cruise into a 3-0 lead at half-time before a degree of pride was restored as we won the second half 1-0 (Gravesen) — no, honest, we were really trying.  Alex Ferguson declared it to be the Reds best away performance of the year .... which is roughly what he said the year before that, oh and before that as well!

We really don't seem to be able to get fired up as much as I'd like for these games.

Do the players just accept the gulf in class?  Do the fans frighteningly contemplate the game as unwinnable?  And perhaps — whisper it oh so quietly — as a game which at least if we lose helps United stay ahead of the other team in red?

It would be nice to think that this year will be different.  Despite normal service being resumed in the treatment room (it's full) we will still have the same number of people on the pitch as United at the start.  Our new injuries are hitting the one area that we have cover in — full-backs and centre-backs — and Weir will be back for this one.

United's defence is porous and also decimated by injuries — so much so that Keane may again be forced to centre-back which would simply leave a midfield of Beckham, Scholes, Veron and Giggs... look, don't even think about it !

Previewing this game is both difficult and demoralising.  I struggle to contain memories of Ole Gunnar scoring four; of Yorke waltzing through us; and Beckham taunting the Gwladys Street.

If I may offer up a Christmas prayer, it is that the boys fight and show some spirit.  United are awesome, but not unbeatable and the very least we should hope for is a hard-fought draw.  Let's get at that defence because it is undeniably fragile and if we score then who knows what can happen (...and don't say that they can score 4... )

2-2 and Barthez is the final Christmas turkey...

BlueForEver

Still a league apart

If Everton were ever to break their shameful run of form against England's best team of the past decade, this season would have been the time to do it. Manchester United have enjoyed astonishingly easy success against Everton since the Premier League began, a trend not altered at Old Trafford in September when the Blues rolled over and took a 4-1 pummelling with little resistance bar a Kevin Campbell consolation.

Since then, Sir Alex Ferguson's side have been showing signs of complacency - with six defeats already they have shown themselves to be beatable this season by a team with enough will and teeth in attack. Sadly, while Everton had the will, from the first whistle to last, no less, they constantly failed to produce the goods in the final third of the field and it cost them another three points.

In a game that featured few clear-cut scoring opportunities, Everton could have been 2-0 up within the first 10 minutes after United had had the better of the initial exchanges. First Gemmill picked up a lay-off by Radzinski and unleashed a fierce longe-range drive that Bartez only just managed to parry up and agonisingly over the bar. Then Unsworth missed the chance of the game, belting the ball wide from 8 yards out with a snatched left-foot shot.

The Blues did not, for once, seem daunted by the calibre of the opposition and they harried when the visitors were in possession and displayed some lovely touches when they did have the ball. Particularly impressive were Gemmill and Blomqvist, the latter making his full home debut despite being fully match sharp.

Walter Smith's side kept United at bay easily in the first half, restricting them to a stinging Veron drive that Simonsen handled well, a Silvestre header that looped harmlessly over, and a Solskjaer effort that was well saved by the legs of Simonsen.

At the other end, Radzinski was cynically scythed down by Gary Neville - the Reds defender was booked - on his way to goal and Joe-Max Moore (who had come on after only 7 minutes to replace the injured Gravesen who had been playing up front alongside Radzinski) forced a good save from Bartez with an overhead kick.

The second half picked up where the first had left off, although there were few chances of any note. United, however, were visibly growing in confidence and the introduction of David Beckham 10 minutes after the interval proved to be the decisive stroke.

With 13 minutes to go, the England international swung in a trademark cross which was met by the rising Ryan Giggs who glanced a header past the helpless Simonsen to make it 1-0.

Everton, who had already withdrawn Blomqvist for the dubious attacking strengths of Duncan Ferguson, threw Paul Gascoigne into the fray but he had barely had time to settle in when the visitors had sewn up the game. Bartez's quick release sparked a rapid United counter-attack, Giggs whipped in a cross that eluded everyone except van Nistlerooy who buried the ball past Simonsen. Game over.

Simonsen was forced into one last finger-tip save in the final minute as United pressed for a third, but the game finished 2-0.

The home side had shown no shortage of effort or skill in the first two-thirds of the field, but were sorely lacking when it came to the final ball. There were precious few scoring opportunities for the strikers and had Gravesen stayed on the field, it is unlikely the outcome would have been any different. United were simply too good on the day - as they always are - but some consolation can be taken from the fact that Everton were at least up for the fight on this occasion.