Garnacho the teenage tormentor!
Winger too hot to handle as struggling Everton slump to ELEVENTH game without win
Ten Hag knows he needs the end of the season to go well to remain in position given Sir Jim Ratcliffe is now a United co-owner of some significance.
He argued his tactical plan of using Fernandes and Scott McTominay as false nines allowed Rashford and Garnacho to exploit pace on the flanks had worked.
‘All over a good performance,’ he said. ‘I think they (Fernandes and Rashford) decided who would take the penalties on the pitch.
Having different takers is more difficult for the opposition goalkeeper to read.
‘Everton had shots but they were low-quality chances. And the way we defended set plays was really good.’
For Everton manager Dyche, explaining reasons for another defeat has become a recurring theme. ‘You sometimes have to get hurt to score a goal. Brian Clough used to say that but I don’t see enough of that in us.
‘There is so much good about our performances apart from the killer instinct. Not long ago we won four in a row. Who is going to take it on? We can’t wait for anyone else to do it. We have had more than enough chances to win football matches.’
At least statisticians would have enjoyed this United win in their last league game until Easter, with the Fernandes-Rashford penalty combination only the third time in Premier League history that different takers have scored from the spot in the first half.
The other times it’s happened were for Fulham against Bolton-Wanderers in 2002 (Louis Saha and Steve Marlet) and for Manchester City against Leicester City in 2021 (Riyad Mahrez and Raheem Sterling).