Leighton Baines, left, with Manchester United's Luis Antonio Valencia, defended well but lacked chances to venture forward. Photograph: Jon Super/AP
Shape
David Moyes is in handcuffs at present. Denied his defensive holder Phil Neville, his wide worker Leon Osman and the left-footed balance of the recently introduced Diniyar Bilyaletdinov, the Everton manager opted for a cautious five-man midfield to support the lone striker, Louis Saha. This is a team who managed 17 clean sheets last season but had managed none in their previous nine games, so the quintet in midfield was always likely to prove more of a protective shield to the back four than a springboard to support Saha. To succeed, Everton would need to gain possession of the ball and support quickly by passing through midfield.
Tactics
used their full-backs to great attacking advantage. With the visitors pressed back, Saha became more isolated as the first half progressed. Everton failed to pressurise United's full-backs: Dan Gosling found difficulty in containing the lively Patrice Evra while, on the left, Tim Cahill, tucking in, allowed Rafael da Silva space to exploit. The central midfielders Jack Rodwell, Marouane Fellaini and Johnny Heitinga were neither fierce nor athletic enough to threaten the home side. Clearly, Everton's five individuals here were not precise enough with their passing or capable of disturbing United's rhythm.
Did it succeed?
No. A poor first half gave United the clear initiative. Sensibly, Moyes abandoned his plan at half-time and switched to 4-4-2 with Saha and Yakubu as the dual target. However, it remained a square-pegs-in-round-holes performance. With Cahill switched to the right and Fellaini on the left, both were out of position, and the absence of Steven Pienaar and Mikel Arteta was keenly felt. In central midfield, Rodwell and Heitinga could not affect Darren Fletcher and Michael Carrick, who looked to link with Wayne Rooney at every opportunity. It was brave of Moyes to open up the midfield and, at 1-0, they looked to have enough forward strength to wrestle their way back into the contest if they could only generate some service.Yet Fellaini's headed superiority over Rafael was quickly nullified when Sir Alex switched Fletcher to right-back to cope, and the visitors' strikers Yakubu and Saha flickered only briefly. Both when they boasted numerical advantage in midfield in the first half, and when they surrendered it after the break, Everton showed they do not have the depth to cope with opponents who shift the ball quickly and show good movement.
Strengths
Tim Howard is more than sound in goal, while Joseph Yobo and Sylvain Distin negate the loss of the injured Phil Jagielka and the departed Joleon Lescott. Heading strongly, and quick on the turn, their problems only begin when the opposition midfield get clear possession behind their own midfield. Yakubu, Saha and Jo are all capable enough to occupy opposing centre-backs but, ideally, Everton need Cahill behind any one of those three to be successful because Moyes's front men do not complement each other. Leighton Baines defended well but, in this fractured performance, never got any opportunities to venture forward.
Weaknesses
Their problem remains men being forced to play out of position. Gosling, Cahill and Fellaini do not appear comfortable in wide areas, so the supply to the forwards in the 18-yard box is limited. Lucas Neill and Baines are comfortable going forward, but they were unable to forage here as the opposing full-backs, Rafael and Evra, came forward too easily to overload against them, with Everton's central players so narrow. Rodwell is a prospect but he does not have the positional nous of Neville, who remains such a vital miss. Until the top Everton midfield – Pienaar, Cahill, Neville, Osman and Arteta – is reassembled, life will continue to be a toil.
by guardian.co.uk
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