admin“We beat them”- Man United Star Matthijs de Ligt offers damning verdict of Amorim’s tactics vs Everton
Despite Everton being reduced to 10 men for more than 80 minutes, Manchester United still fell to a 0–1 defeat at Old Trafford on Monday.
It marked the first time in Premier League history that United have lost to a team that played the majority of the match with a man disadvantage — another unwanted record for Ruben Amorim.
After taking the lead, Everton naturally defended in a compact low block. Surprisingly, United did little to disrupt it.
There were almost no late runs from midfield, and the team resorted to aimless crossing and set-piece play. With Benjamin Šeško unavailable and no true target man up front, this approach made little sense.
Tactics under scrutiny
David Moyes’ side boasted physically dominant defenders who thrived under pressure, comfortably clearing the endless aerial deliveries.
United attempted 38 crosses and earned nine corners, none of which changed the outcome. Matthijs de Ligt openly highlighted the problem after the match.
“It’s quite clear. A bad night for us. Around 70 minutes 11 vs 10, conceded a goal and didn’t create many chances. We had a few, but not enough against ten men. A disappointing night,” he told MUTV.
“We didn’t do enough. We didn’t make the runs or get bodies into the box. They’re strong in the air, so we didn’t have the type of players to score that way.”
De Ligt criticised the team’s approach:
“We basically played into their strengths. These are the key points, but we have to look at ourselves — it’s not good enough.”
“We trained together during the break, but I think we lacked urgency in key moments. When you lack urgency, you get punished. If you don’t score, you lose. We lacked the hunger to make a difference when it mattered most.”
Amorim’s lack of in-game adjustments left Joshua Zirkzee isolated, while his substitutions once again raised eyebrows. How United respond to this defeat remains to be seen.
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