Manchester United need a victory this weekend as they aim to put last week’s disastrous trip to the Etihad Stadium behind them, with Erik ten Hag’s men conceding six goals to their bitter rivals.
United bounced back from that defeat to Manchester City by winning at Omonia earlier this week, with Ten Hag opting to stay in Cyprus for an extra day after the game.
It’s unclear whether that has affected United’s preparations for this game but speaking ahead of Sunday’s encounter with Everton, Ten Hag has hailed ‘proper’ Everton and highlighted their six-game unbeaten run.
“A real, proper opponent,” Ten Hag is quoted as saying on the official Manchester United website.
“They are unbeaten over the last six games so it’s a tough opponent. [They have] good organisation, they are playing with passion, so I like them. We have to be good, we have to be at our best to get the right result: that is a win.
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“They have good players, they have a good team, they have a good manager, so we have to be prepared. We have to be ready to start the game well and get the right result.”
SN’s verdict…
A defeat for United would be their fourth of the season already and Ten Hag will be desperate to avoid that scenario, having already lost valuable points in the chase for a top-four finish.
Prior to the surprising derby-day mauling, there were really positive signs that United were improving under Ten Hag and that his laws were slowly but surely getting through to the players.
That is now in doubt and nothing but a victory should be enough on Sunday. As Ten Hag mentions, United’s opponents are in good form and it’s not going to be easy.
