Louis van Gaal might try being angry more often. The Manchester United manager had spent the last two weeks stewing over his team’s humiliation at the hands of Arsenal, and this was the result. A comprehensive dismantling of an abject Everton team, one which keeps his side in touch with Manchester City at the top of the Barclays Premier League.
It was not, in truth, an entirely convincing performance. It was one of those displays which have become United’s speciality under Van Gaal: not devoid of merit, as such, but some distance from being either breath-taking or convincing. It is the sort of showing they produce so often that it is hard not to think that this is now their default setting, that this is as far as Van Gaal might take them, that there is not a world-class side waiting to get out.
Still, no matter: they did not need to be perfect to beat Roberto Martínez’s team - far from it. They had the game wrapped up inside 22 minutes, Morgan Schneiderlin and Ander Herrera’s goals enough to give them breathing space, Wayne Rooney making things safe after little more than an hour.
The defeat hurt Everton, of course, but not so much as the news they had received earlier in the day. Howard Kendall, described before the match as the club’s “greatest ever manager” had died at the age of 69.
They came to Goodison, as much as anything, to pay tribute to him. Eulogies and testimonies poured in from across the years. A flag bearing his name fluttered from the stands. The club had scheduled a minute’s applause. It was heartfelt, poignant, and lasted a lot longer than a minute. In the context, whatever happened afterwards did not seem to matter quite so much.
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In the circumstances, it was no surprise that the game started quietly, both on the pitch and off it. Both sides seemed somehow subdued until United went ahead – the sort of goal that might have been against the run of play, had there been a run of play. It was a careless goal: first Marcos Rojo and then Chris Smalling helping the ball into Schneiderlin’s path after the hosts failed to clear their lines at a corner. The Frenchman converted calmly, the goal his first for the club.
Three minutes later, the game was effectively over: Seamus Coleman was pulled out of position, Rojo scampered into the space he had left and spun a picture-book cross on to the head of Herrera, darting in the gap between Phil Jagielka and his left-back, Brendan Galloway. Tim Howard had no chance and all of a sudden Everton had no hope.
On such an emotional day, Goodison might have hoped Martínez’s team might have mustered a more stirring response. The hosts, though, were abject. If Van Gaal thought he was cross after what happened at the Emirates, Martínez would have every right to be livid. This was a hopeless, hapless performance. Goodison booed at half-time and again on the final whistle, the only surprise being that there was anyone left here to do so.
Their gameplan seemed to centre on hoisting the ball towards Romelu Lukaku and building the play from there. For all the Belgian’s best efforts, though, he found himself well marshalled by Chris Smalling and, whenever he did manage to bring the ball into his orbit, surrounded by United’s scurrying, harrying midfield. Van Gaal might have struggled to turn his side into a slick attacking unit but defensively it is hard to fault his work.
Everton managed to rouse themselves for precisely 17 minutes at the start of the second half. Only a brilliant tackle from Jesse Lingard prevented Ross Barkley halving United’s lead; David De Gea stuck out a leg to prevent Lukaku doing the same a moment later. And then, just as Goodison was finding its voice, Phil Jagielka carelessly gave the ball away, Schneiderlin picked out Herrera, Herrera picked out Rooney and the England captain had his first goal at his old stomping ground since 2007.
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That removed what little doubt there had been. United would end the afternoon just two points behind their local rivals, Manchester City, at the summit of the Premier League table, the defeat at Arsenal now forgotten. Which of the two games better represents what Van Gaal’s team are, though, remains open for debate.