Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim felt his side were too soft in their 2-2 draw with Everton at Goodison Park on Saturday.
Amorim’s side had gone in for half-time two goals down after being thoroughly outplayed by Everton, with Beto and Abdoulaye Doucoure on the scoresheet.
Yet Bruno Fernandes’ free-kick and a superb strike from Manuel Ugarte saw United battle back to salvage a point.
Amorim, though, felt there was much his team needed to have done better.
“We need to win three points and we need to win the whole game. The worst part is that we are losing the ball without pressure and we are not doing what we need to do. We were soft,” Amorim told TNT Sports.
“In training, we have to continue to do the same. In the second half, we changed nothing. We have to do the same thing but in a good way. We have to improve on creating chances and in this game also we struggle with scoring goals.
“I don’t know, if I know, I will change it. Everything we do in the week, we have to do better in the game. In this moment, we need to focus on day by day. We need to survive this season and then we can think ahead.
“I don’t want to just say the negative part. In the second half, we were close to win this game.”
Despite an improved second-half performance from United, there were a few nervy moments for them right at the death after referee Andrew Madley initially gave a penalty to Everton after Ashley Young was seemingly felled in the box, before overturning his decision after consultation with the VAR.
Amorim, though, believed that Madley ultimately made the right call, questioning whether the offence had been severe enough to call a foul.
“I think it was a soft touch from what I saw. I think it was a soft penalty, it was clear,” he said.
Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes, meanwhile, agreed with Amorim’s sentiments, acknowledging that they need to start games better.
Fernandes was crucial to United’s revival, though argued they should never have got themselves into that situation.
“We had our chances in the second half but the problem is we started the game too late. We gave it away in the first half. We were too static and it was difficult to create some situations. We need to start the games better,” he said.
“We spoke at half-time. Every time we concede a goal then we are down, it’s the only time we start. Now we can take a little more risks and pass forward. We need to start the game like that. We are in a situation where we need to win games and score goals.”
Fernandes has more Premier League goal involvements against Everton than any other side (11 – six goals, five assists).
FT: Everton 2-2 Manchester United
As draws go, it’s a tough one to take. The Blues deserved more but are forced to settle for just a point at Goodison Park. pic.twitter.com/3yZ8kPFHQg
— Everton (@Everton) February 22, 2025
In contrast, Everton manager David Moyes was pleased with the point and the performance of his players, while also accepting a tinge of disappointment that they were unable to hold on for all three.
“I’m hugely pleased we got a point, because it’s another towards safety and that’s the job at the moment. I’m disappointed we didn’t get all three. A few days ago we drew 2-2 with Liverpool and that felt like a win, maybe today it feels, not like a defeat but close to it,” he said in his post-match press conference.
“I thought the team played really well, their free-kick [goal] changes the momentum, United didn’t cause us too many problems.
“When we were 2-0 up we should have gone 3-0 up, we had a couple of big opportunities to get the third goal.”
On the penalty incident at the end of the game, Moyes was surprised at it being overturned, suggesting that it was not a clear and obvious error to award the spot kick.
“I can’t understand why the referee on the field makes the decision, and then doesn’t stick with it. I thought he made the correct decision at the time,” he said.
“I didn’t think it was a clear and obvious mistake. I didn’t think VAR needed to get involved.”
This is the sixth time in the Premier League that a side has avoided defeat after being 2+ goals down in a game between Everton and United, the joint-most in the competition’s history, along with Leicester City v Southampton and Arsenal v Tottenham Hotspur.
