After their disappointing midweek Champions League loss to Juventus, Manchester United will look to bounce back against Everton on Sunday.
Jose Mourinho‘s side have been struggling for wins, goals and form, making this a potential banana-skin tie for the hosts.
Here’s a look at the talking points ahead of the game.
TIME FOR RASHFORD TO GET A GO?
Much has been said about Romelu Lukaku‘s poor run of form – the striker is now scoreless in eight games for his club – but do United have another option?
There was a summer experiment with Alexis Sanchez playing through the middle, while Lukaku was enjoying a post-World Cup break, but the Chilean has been struggling for form and fitness himself.
Meanwhile, one need only think back to the 1-0 loss to Brighton towards the end of last season to see why Mourinho has such little faith in Anthony Martial or Marcus Rashford through the middle.
The duo took turns playing centrally that day, but United’s attack looked as blunt as it would a few months later in another shock loss to the same team.
Rashford has one goal and two assists in his last three games for club and country, and he does look a potent force when playing a little more centrally for England. And he did start his career with a bang as a central striker.
There were suggestions that Lukaku might just be dropped for this game, with Rashford getting the nod, though Mourinho then spent his pre-match press conference defending his No9. Was that just a smokescreen?
Time for Rashford to get a chance through the middle?
WHERE ARE FRED AND PEREIRA?
Up front isn’t the only area of the side where Mourinho needs to consider making a change. Nemanja Matic has looked fatigued this season, sluggishly getting through games while making little impact. He’s recovering from surgery, which may have something to do with it, but in that case he might be better off given some time to rehabilitate.
Meanwhile, there’s a £52million midfielder being kept on the bench, for seemingly no reason at all. Fred’s last start was when he scored in the 1-1 draw against Wolves, and it’s not immediately apparent what he’s done to deserve the axe.
United could do with more technical players in midfield, given that Mourinho’s requirement of a stereotypical big, strong midfielder is fulfilled by the technically gifted Paul Pogba. That Fred and Andreas Pereira are getting next to no game time, despite being players who would be excellent partners for Pogba, is hard to make sense of.
Matic is a Mourinho player, much like Lukaku, in that both have the manager’s trust and thus get a longer rope than others. But there has to be a time when that rope runs out. For Matic, like Lukaku, that time might be now.
Fred hasn’t played in a month.
SILVA TO WIN BATTLE OF PORTUGUESE MANAGERS?
Nuno Espirito Santo brought Wolves to Old Trafford last month and saw his team earn a comeback draw. Is it Marco Silva’s turn to be the latest Portuguese manager to show up the country’s greatest managerial export?
Everton actually come into this game a point and two places above United, and though that may not be enough to make them favourites, their run of form should have instilled a sense of confidence in the side.
Richarlison is looking an ever shrewder investment, despite the £40million paid to Watford initially looking like a crazy fee. The Brazilian has thrived under Silva’s tutelage and helped make Everton an exciting side.
Given United’s defensive frailties, there should be enough to encourage the Toffees on Sunday – especially if Mourinho continues with his pragmatic, defensive approach. It may just happen given that’s his default against attacking sides.
If that’s the case, Everton will also be encouraged by the tepid response from the United fans, who won’t take kindly to their side being as timid against their Liverpool-based rivals as they were against Juventus.
United’s last league game, against Chelsea, it seemed like the side were on the road to recovery after a poor start to the season. Everton could stop that in its tracks.
Marco Silva has led a resurgent Everton.
