Five improvements that United still have to make after Old Trafford win.
Manchester United continued their quest to get a slow start to the Premier League season back on track this afternoon with a narrow 2-1 victory over Everton, but they were largely indebted to a fine display from young Spanish goalkeeper David de Gea to keep hold of a crucial three points that puts them right into the race for a top four finish.
SEE MORE:
Slow footballers – Top ten in the world
Carragher Ozil – German blasted for poor display
(Video) Chelsea 2-0 Arsenal – Diego Costa bags another
Louis van Gaal has admitted after the match that his side did not play particularly well, however – here are five things that the Red Devils really need to improve over the international break:
Limit the space out wide
It may well be a natural consequence of van Gaal’s decision to set his team up in a diamond formation, but United are leaving far too much space in behind their full backs Rafael and Luke Shaw, something that Everton really looked to exploit, with Roberto Martinez urging his side down the flanks in the second. As well as the likes of Angel di Maria and Ander Herrera, before his injury absence, were playing, they still need to provide better wide cover.
Defend set pieces better
United have looked pretty vulnerable from set pieces all season, although generally the Red Devils have gotten away with it, a pattern that again continued again as Everton failed to take advantage of some really good dead balls situations. Romelu Lukaku had a couple of headed opportunities, whilst only last gasp blocks and saves denied Gareth Barry from a corner in the dying embers of the match.
Find some sort of understanding in attack
Sitting the game out through suspension, United captain Wayne Rooney may have watched with a wry smile as Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao failed to strike up any real understanding, with the duo linking with each other very rarely throughout the match. With Rooney similarly having struggled to strike up a partnership with Falcao, this is something that van Gaal needs to address in training, with the Colombian seemingly one of the first names on the teamsheet.
Work out the role of Juan Mata
Juan Mata is now playing in the number ten role for United but, once again, he didn’t have the impact on the game that van Gaal will have desired – possibly due to the lack of pace and runners beyond him to pick out. Other than Angel di Maria, who tends to pick the ball up deep himself, United’s attack is full of quality but still lacking in the movement and pace needed for a player like Mata to thrive.
Keep the ball better
United endured a nervy finish to the game as Everton poured forward in search of what would probably have been a deserved equaliser, with the pressure largely being down to United’s inability to keep the ball and see the game out. As well as he played overall, Angel di Maria was one of a number of players to give the ball away far too cheaply when United should’ve been seeing things through.