Match Report

With the possibility of drawing level with today's opponents in the upper echelons of the Premier League, Ross Barkley in the news for his ever-improving form for club and country, and John Stones and Seamus Coleman returning to the starting XI, there was cautious optimism ahead of this game that Everton's decent start to the season would continue with another morale-boosting win over Manchester United.

It was an afternoon that started with bad news, however, the game itself rendered trivial in many respects next to the loss of a club legend, but Howard Kendall would, no doubt, have wanted the day to belong to the game he loved and represented so impressively as a player and manager.

As Roberto Martinez remarked after the game, “It would have been nice to turn it into a day of celebration," but Everton came up against a team in a decidedly unsentimental mood. Still smarting from his team's humbling at The Emirates a fortnight ago and with his team's 3-0 drubbing in this game last season probably still gnawing at him, Louis van Gaal came to Merseyside with redemption and retribution on his mind. At least that's the way it seemed from the vigour with which they out-played and shut-down their hosts.

Having seen their side despatch United back along the M62 with defeats on each of their last three visits to Goodison Park, and then witnessed Arsenal put United to the sword with devastating effectiveness, Evertonians were hopeful and expectant of another positive result against the Red Devils; instead, they were given a harsh reminder of how things used to be in this fixture under Sir Alex Ferguson when Everton were were either hopelessly out-matched or paralysed by their "big four" inferiority complex.

Not that fear played much of a role in Everton's defeat today – this was simply the case of superior quality and managerial organisation coming together in the way they should after hundreds of millions of pounds invested in new players by an experienced, arguably world-class manager. United were unrecognisable from the directionless and toothless shambles that showed up in April and in David Moyes's only visit to Goodison as the opposition manager the season before.

Where on those occasions, the Blues were afforded the time and space with which to engineer United's destruction, today their opponents appeared to be under instruction to deny Everton any of either. Ross Barkley, Romelu Lukaku and Steven Naismith routinely found themselves smothered as Van Gaal's men collapsed the space around them as soon as they got the ball. With the Blues regularly electing to hit direct balls to Lukaku, red jerseys would latch onto the second ball and then pivot quickly through midfield into attack with quick, accurate passing.

The net result was a contest that made Everton look slow, ineffective and wasteful with the ball. They visibly lacked the kind of quality at Van Gaal's disposal but much credit should go to manner in which the visitors set about their task – they were simply the better side throughout and were worthy winners, albeit not perhaps by such a wide margin.

The pattern of the match was established early. United began with an intensity and efficiency that Everton struggled to match. Where the Blues looked to go long and eschew much of the "joined-up stuff" that has characterised so much of Martinezs's reign, the visitors opted instead for swift passing through the middle and, when they didn't have the ball, they did their best to nullify any attempt by Everton's forward three to work their way past Chris Smalling and Phil Jones with passing interchanges in the final third.

The latter stategy would prove largely successful, although Lukaku almost bustled his way onto Naismith's throughball early on but he just couldn't nip it past David de Gea who had come off his line to close the chance down, while at the other end Wayne Rooney's first sight of goal ended with a waywardly speculative effort from 25 yards.

United made the all-important breakthrough in the 18th minute, however, after Tim Howard had pushed Ander Herrera's decent shot over his crossbar and referee Jonathan Moss put his inevtiable stamp of incompetence on the game. Rooney visibly impeded Naismith as he jumped to head clear following the corner but the official chose not to blow for the infringement allowing play to go on and Morgan Schneiderlin to benefit from poor defending to slot home unmarked at the far post.

Four minutes later, Everton had the stuffing knocked out of them by a second goal. Seamus Coleman, returning to the side after a month out with a hamstring injury, clattered through Anthony Martial but the referee correctly played the advantage to allow Marcos Rojo to overlap into the space behind the Blues' fullback and sweep a cross onto the head of Herrera. The Spaniard had run into the space between Phil Jagielka and Brendan Galloway allowing him the freedom to nod past the stranded Howard and double the lead.

Reeling, Everton struggled to respond and they almost went into half time 3-0 down when Rooney sprung the offside trap and cut the ball back invitingly for Martial but rather than nestle int the gaping net, his shot took a heavy deflection and rolled into the grateful arms of Howard.

With his side having troubled De Gea just once in the first period when Barkley forced prompted him into a one-handed save with a whipped shot from the angle, Martinez made his first change of the game at half-time, withdrawing the willing but ineffective Naismith with Arouna Kone. Nothing had come off for the Scot in the first 45 minutes and Kone would bring a modicum of better ball retention to the forward line even if he was unable to spark the revival for which Goodison was desperate.

The Blues were better coming out of the interval and a Barkley free kick almost ended with a chance for Lukaku at the far post but he appeared not to have anticipated the ball bypassing all the shirts in front of him and he could only prod the ball behind. Then, Barkley himself had a great chance from a similar position after Aaron Lennon, energetic and industrious as ever, robbed an opponent of the ball, Kone's shot was blocked and Coleman clipped in an inviting cross. Unfortunately, Barkley wanted too much time for the ball to arrive and Smalling was able to muscle in front of him and deny him a goal.

If there was a potential pivot in the game that might have turned things in Everton's favour it came ten minutes into the second half hour mark amid a spell of mounting pressure from the home side that represented their best period of the game. Barkley's slide-rule pass played Lennon in down the right channel and his equally pin-point centre to Lukaku ended with the Belgian placing a side-foot shot aimed for the bottom corner but De Gea saved superbly with an out-stretched leg. And the Spanish 'keeper was there again a few minutes later to beat away Barkley's awkwardly-bouncing free kick.

Any momentum the Blues were building towards an unlikely rescue act on the scale of the one at West Brom last month was killed, however, by a rare moment of calamity by Jagielka on the 62nd minute. His inexpicably poor pass straight to a red shirt gifted possession to United in the centre-circle and two passes later, Rooney had been released into a one-on-one confrontation with Howard. In typical fashion, the American went to ground too quickly and the former Everton forward fired it over his leg to put the game well out of reach.

Howard redeemed himself somewhat by denying Rooney a similar goal seven minutes later after Jagielka had given him a five-yard head-start at the half-way line and he romped away towards the Park End goal, getting enough on the England striker's shot to prevent it from slipping underneath him and adding further insult to the scoreline.

Preferring to retain his two defensive midfielders, perhaps to avoid further embarrassment at the back, Martinez substituted the rather unfortunate Lennon in favour of Gerard Deulofeu but the evident gulf in class between the two sides and United's refusal to budge made it largely impotent gesture. A stoppage time free kick by Barkley that brushed the roof of the net was as close as the beaten Blues would come to a consolation.

Talk of United being viable title contenders may have seemed premature after their defeat at Arsenal but they bore the look of potential Champions on this evidence. And while Evertonian eyes will naturally focus on what this result means in terms of a reality check on the Blues' resurgence as a force among the Premier League's top five or six teams, the level of performance put in by Van Gaal's men went a long way to influencing Everton's own dismal showing.

Nevertheless, the concerns voiced by many fans over the lack of genuine match-winning and game-infuencing quality in Everton's ranks – an issue that dominated the summer transfer window – will return to the fore once more. The result was a harsh one on Lukaku who did almost everything he could to drag the Blues back into the game but Naismith's struggles, the continued absence of Kevin Mirallas and a general lack of cohesion in the team's play will lead to plenty of introspection and, perhaps, some realigned expectations of what is possible this season.

Lyndon Lloyd

Matchday Updates

Everton resume their Premier League programme by hosting Manchester United at Goodison Park for a rare 3pm Saturday kick-off – not since 2004 have the two clubs played each other in the traditional time slot. The game will be overshadowed by the sad news of Howard Kendall's passing, with tributes pouring in from all quarters for the great man.

Roberto Martinez was able to select both Seamus Coleman and John Stones, after both have been sidelined with injuries. Supporting Lukaku, it's something of a surprise to see Naismith and Lennon flanking Ross Barkley, with Deulofeu and Mirallas both left on the bench.

Man Utd kicked off and had most of the early play, although Lennon showed some spirit and then Galloway tried to get Naismith running in. Herrera won a soft free-kick on the right corner of the Everton area off Galloway but the danger was dealt with by Jagielka.

Everton were understandably a little subdued as United played the ball around with little effect. Barry secured a turnover but McCarthy ran it out of play. Naismith almost played in Lukaku but De Gea snatched it off his toes.

Everton tried to settle with some passing acorss the back and a ball lofted up to Lukaku who did well to hold off Jones but there was no-one there for the layoff. At the other end, Rooney had a shot well wide.

Jagielka again picked out Lukaku and his chest-back to Naismith was perfect, but he was floored and the free-kick in a good position was smacked into the wall by Lukaku, Barkley taking the corner and Everton maintaining some pressure until Smalling was fouled.

A tremendous shot from Herrera needed to be tipped over by Howard but from the corner, Schniederlin smacked it home after Everton failed to clear effectively. Everton had not taken any real grip on the game and had paid the price for a far to tentative and sloppy first 20 minutes.

Everton, confidence shot by the goal, then gave up another with consummate ease, allowing a cross from the Everton right when Herrera met a perfect cross with no-one to prevent him heading an easy finish past Howard.

Everton were relying again on the lofted ball to Lukaku and it almost worked with Naismith coming in but Smalling was there to defend and Everton struggled to make much impact, having largely abandoned constructive forward passing moves on the ground.

Coleman got in a good cross that Lukaku seemed to get to ahead of De Gea but the ball dropped harmlessly and was cleared as De Gea collapsed in a heap. With a nice two-goal cushion, United sat back into a sold defensive structure whenever they lost possession that the Blues had no idea how to penetrate.

Galloway did well to overpower Mata but Smalling got ahead of Naismith on the cross. De Gea wafted at Barkley's corner but Naismith was called for a push. Everton forced a good spell of pressure but could not come close to having a decent shot on goal, Jagielka's effort looking more like a cross to the far post.

Crazy defending as Everton tried to play Rooney offside and Martial somehow failed to profit as Howard and Stones scrambled back.

Off a corner at the other end, Barkley finally got a shot on target but the angle was narrow and De Gea batted it away. It was a dreadful half from Everton, lacking any real inspiration, playing with really heavy hearts on such a sad day when the memory of Kendall's heroic exploits should have been all the inspiration they needed.

Martinez decided to replace Naismith but brought on Kone instead of Mirallas or Deulofeu. An early free-kick looked promising but Lukaku was quite determined enough to get in front of Smalling at the far post.

Kone worked a lovely one-two with Lukaku but messed up his shot that Coleman then crossed and it seemed to set up nicely for Barkley at the far post but a defender intervened. Everton, however. were playing with much better tempo, and won a couple of good free-kick, the second of which saw some determined buildup that ended with Lukaku's fierce drive stopped on the line by De Gea's outstretched leg.

A fantastic free-kick in from Barkley needed only a glance as Ge Gea blocked it away and no-one could get a clean shot on the follow-up. But a horrible give-away in the middle by Jagielka and United were away, Rooney shooting easily past the falling starman impression in the Everton goal. Game over.

To their credit, the boys kept playing despite the demoralizing scoreline, Barkley having a good slighlty deflected shot, and Jagielka making amends after Rooney was away to the races. Lukaku getting a card for uncharacteristic petulance.

With the horses well off down the Lane, Martinez thought it was the right time to finally play one of his potential game-changers in Gerard Deulofeu, with barely 17 minutes remaining. Stones had to defend superbly as United threatened a fourth. Martial almost walked it in along the byeline, Howard's feet to the rescue.

Another glorious free-kick opportunity for Barkley, lashed in and dipping viciously but only hitting the stanchion. The game petered out with no more damage to a sad and thoroughly deflated Goodison Park, not by any means a fitting way to remember the great Everton Legend.

Everton: Howard, Coleman [Y:22'], Jagielka, Stones, Galloway, McCarthy, Barry, Lennon(73' Deulofeu), Naismith (46' Kone), Barkley, Lukaku [Y:70'].
Subs not Used: Robles, Browning, Funes Mori, Osman, Mirallas.

Manchester United: De Gea, Dar50'mian, Smalling, Jones, Rojo [Y:52'], Schweinsteiger [Y:](74' Carrick), Schneiderlin, Mata (46' Lingard), Herrera (81' Fellaini), Rooney, Martial.
Subs not Used: Johnstone, Blind, Pereira, Memphis.

Referee: Jonathan Moss

Attendance: 39,553

Michael Kenrick

From My Seat: Man Utd (H)

It was a dark sombre atmosphere in the Room of Nonsense as we took in the news of Howard Kendall’s passing. Stories abounded from those that either knew him or had met him at charity bashes. The upshot was he was regarded by all as the manager that took us to the heights and but for a bit of trouble at a game involving our cousins from across the park would suerly have sealed our BIG club status to this very day. Also everyone regarded him as great bloke who always had time to talk to fans.

It was only yesterday I was reading his column in the Echo making today’s news harder to take also it emerged that as late as last night he was with Snods at a charity do and at the end was heard to tell Snods he would see him for the game today. R.I.P Howard.

The teams were beamed through and with Coleman and Stones deemed fit plus Lennon and Naismith getting starts some of us wondered if too many changes were being made to face a side smarting after a bit of a mauling at the Emirates. We were to get our answer. The walk up was one of being slightly quiet but wall to wall fans snaking along Spellow Lane and Goodison Road a sure sign of a full house as the official attendance of 39,553 confirmed. I walked passed floral tributes that had been left in memory of Howard and into the ground in time to welcome the teams. There was to be a minute’s applause in memory of the great man which stretched to about two minutes as it started well before the ref blew his whistle for the official single minute. The man was well liked around these parts you see.

The game started and a stat came to mind that Rooney hadn’t scored an away goal for some eleven months. You just know some things don’t you!! For fifteen minutes mainly sparring took place with United looking the more likely as Everton played ‘almost stuff’ with things like Barry playing McCarthy forward but he ran it out of play, Naismith gave Lukaku a sniff but De Gea was fast out and took the ball from the toes of Lukaku, Naismith fouled on the edge but Lukaku’s free kick hit the wall and deflected for a corner which Barkley swung in but the ref spotted a foul and United cleared via the free kick.

I thought now that we were starting to play too much across the back line looking for a break but United had closed all roads so too often the outcome was a punt up to Lukaku and to be fair the big man really fought for them and held them up but all too often support was never near enough for us to get excited. United were attacking more now seemingly sensing we had little to offer going forward and Herrera hit one with power that Howard did well to tip over. From the resultant corner just before the 20min mark we could only muster a half clearance with no one rushing to close down Schniederlin seemed just to stroll onto the ball and arrow one passed Howard. We were getting very sloppy in our play now and some four minutes later it was no real surprise when from an attacking foray United won the ball and played down their left with one pass to their player who was criminally in acres of space and put in a first time cross to the beckoning Herrera who met it and had little difficulty in heading beyond Howard leaving us 2-0 down and many of us forecasting game over.

We didn’t have to be too bright to forecast that as the rest of the half would show. United were now in containing mode and happy to sit back and wait for the chance of a break which at times was agony to watch as we passed and passed across the back then when a break was made United seemed to have little difficulty in mopping up and coming at us. Coleman was being given a going over by Martial who was dangerous on their left wing but the Irishman did manage a run and cross that Lukaku beat De Gea to the ball but only red shirts were near enough to the incident and the ball was cleared. It was funny watching De Gea falling in a heap on the ground after Lukaku had beaten him. The ref told him to get up.

To round off the half we did attack a little more but could not muster any meaningful shot on target. We did have less than competent defending before the end of the half when defenders stopped to claim Rooney offside, he wasn’t and the Croxteth lad but Martial in on goal but he wasted a bit too much time and Stones and Howard between them managed to bundle the ball from him. Barkley finally had a good shot on target but De Gea pushed it away and that was that with most Blues glad of some respite.

H/T and the chat was all about how poor that first half was with Lukaku looking the only player up for the game. No matter what plaudits had been aired in the week this was dire. What Howard would have thought I don’t know?

Second half and Kone had replaced the out of sorts Naismith. I did wonder considering our woeful first half and United looking streets ahead of us in all aspects if a triple change and go for it might have been the better option. For a short while we did look more up for it as Lukaku almost profited with a header at the near post then Kone went on a powerful mazy one and exchanged passes with Lukaku but miss-hit his shot to accompanying groans. We had upped the tempo and Coleman got down the right and put a very good cross across goal that had Barkley racing onto it but it just evaded him. Many thought he should have thrown himself at it or tried the diving header.

The half was looking better as we gained a couple of free kicks the second of which saw a pile-driver from Lukaku stopped on the line by the leg of De Gea. At last Barkley got a free kick right as he arced it in and just a glance would have scored but no one was rushing in and the keeper palmed away and two follow up shots were both blocked by well-placed defenders. Less than twenty minutes of the second half gone and we are at last looking more interested but a goal was desperately needed so in true Everton fashion we contrive to put the game out of reach ourselves when after another period of keep-ball across the back Jags at last strides out of defence but plants his measured pass right to an opponent who put Rooney in and his eleven month wait for an away goal is served up on a plate as he strides toward Howard sits him down and nets.

That really was game over with still half an hour to play. Fair play the Blues tried to peg away but with only Lukaku looking like a man who was performing like you expect all our players to perform in these circumstances we were always ending up short. About a quarter of an hour to go and the manager subs off Lennon and sends on Deulofeu but United were comfortable now and managing the game to its conclusion. Fans were now leaving in droves with the Park End leading the way and by the time Barkley had struck a wicked free kick dipping toward goal the confident De Gea merely waved it over. At the other end Martial was still giving Coleman the run around outpaced him and came in along the goal line but it was Howard to the rescue who won a foot tackle to avert another goal.

Fellaini came on for a cameo and immediately Jags went through him with a strong tackle, looked like our skipper was a frustrated soul. The board went up with 3 extra minutes and there was quite a groan from those who were actually left in the ground to witness it. Final whistle and we all shuffled away in bemusement at such a luke-warm effort and the thought of a trip to the Emirates next week to face a team that beat United good style seems the stuff of nightmares at the moment.

MotM: Lukaku

A lousy day all round with the news of Howard then that display that makes me think that after such performances fans should have the ticket price repaid!

Still, no two games are the same so here’s hoping.

UP THE BLUES

Ken Buckley

Match Preview

With the penultimate international break of the year out the way and, seemingly, all of the Toffees' various travelling stars back unscathed from their exertions, Everton resume their Premier League programme by hosting Manchester United at Goodison Park for a rare 3pm Saturday kick-off – not since 2004 have the two clubs played each other in the traditional time slot.

The game is the second-to-last in what was, on paper, a daunting start to the season which pitted Roberto Martinez's side against all of last season's top eight within the first 10 fixtures, albeit one that they have navigated fairly well thus far with a return of thirteen points from the first eight matches played. A disappointing home defeat to resurgent Manchester City and a failure to press home their superiority against Swansea and Liverpool have been tempered by surprisingly comprehensive wins over Southampton and Chelsea and the thrilling comeback against West Bromwich Albion.

Now, thanks to that decent return, Everton go into this date with United knowing they can draw level with Louis van Gaal's team in the table with another victory to add to their improving recent record against what used to be a perennial Premier League nemesis. If you fancy a flutter on the Blues doing it, you can check the latest bookmaker sign up offers.

Prior to Martinez's assumption of the Goodison hotseat and the departure of Sir Alex Ferguson, the Blues' record against United since 1992 was a miserable one but, starting with that memorable win at Old Trafford in December 2013, Everton have begun to make amends for years of apparent fear and inferiority by winning four of the last six meetings... as many as they managed over the preceding 21 years.

Last April's 3-0 demolition of the still-embryonic Van Gaal project was the latest in a series of impressive Everton displays against United and, were it not for the almost superhuman intervention of David de Gea in the reverse fixture in Manchester in September last year, they might have earned a deserved draw.

Having spent eye-popping sums of money since taking over from David Moyes, Van Gaal appears to have restored United to the role of title contenders and they went into their last game against Arsenal sitting on top of the Premier League for the first time since they last lifted the title in May 2013. If that sent a rather ominous signal to the rest of the Premier League that the expenditure on the likes of Anthony Martial, Morgan Schneiderlin, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Memphis Depay had put the most successful club of the Premier League era back on course for more silverware, the the Gunners' demolition of them in the first half at the Emirates will have provided a reality check that the Red Devils remain fallible.

It's those vulnerabilities that Martinez will hope to exploit in the manner he did so brilliantly six months ago when goals by James McCarthy, John Stones and Kevin Mirallas delivered a handsome home win. United couldn't live with Everton that day and the Catalan will be looking for a similarly impactful performance this time around, although he will know that Van Gaal's side will be both stronger and more wary.

Martinez should be boosted by the return of at least one regular starter in the form of Seamus Coleman, who played for the first time in a month when he completed 90 minutes for the Republic of Ireland last Sunday in their 2-1 Euro2016 qualifying defeat in Poland. The fullback had missed the previous four games with a hamstring injury but he looks set to resume his place in the Everton starting XI at the expense of his more-than-able deputy, Tyias Browning.

John Stones, too, could be fit to resume his excellent partnership with Phil Jagielka after recovering from a knee injury that has sidelined him for the last two matches. The centre-half trained over the international break and seems to have responded well, although Martinez said that he will assess his match fitness before making a final decision between him and Ramiro Funes Mori. If needed, the Argentine might have to shake off some jetlag after returning from his country's friendly in Paraguay on Tuesday.

Elsewhere in the side, with Kevin Mirallas eligible again following a three-match suspension, Martinez has options when it comes to formulating an attacking strategy to target the same weaknesses that were exposed by Arsene Wenger a fortnight ago. As was the case in April – he came off the bench to score that third goal against United – the Belgian is an unlikely starter but he could be a useful weapon as a substitute. Assuming he doesn't start, it means the manager will likely have to decide between Arouna Kone and Steven Naismith as to who plays off Romelu Lukaku and which of Gerard Deulofeu and Aaron Lennon should fulfill the wide role on the right. Naismith and Deulofeu got the nod against Liverpool but neither were able to make much of an impact.

Regardless of who is selected, another fast, energetic start is likely to be key for the Blues and if they can get United on the ropes early on, it should work in their favour. Perhaps not surprisingly, United are slightly better favoured by oddsmakers – there's a £30 bwin new customer bonus – despite being the away team so it will be up to Everton to establish their own rhythm and play their own game. Keeping Martial, the mercurial Depay and the fit-again Wayne Rooney quiet will be important for the back four but it's the task of nullifying the creative talents of Juan Mata likely to be shared by McCarthy and Gareth Barry that will be key.

In a campaign that is shaping up to be as promising for Everton as Season 2013-14, these are the kinds of games that will be barometers for judging whether the Blues have what it takes to challenge for the top six and, perhaps, beyond. If the failure to express themselves and find a win in the derby placed a question mark over whether they have what it takes, then a win over improving Manchester United would re-establish those Europe-chasing credentials.

Kick off: 3pm
Referee: Jonathan Moss
Predicted Everton line-up: Howard; Coleman, Stones, Jagielka, Galloway; Barry, McCarthy; Lennon, Barkley, Kone; Lukaku

Lyndon Lloyd

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