Manchester United 2-1 Everton: Takeaways

By Kiran Thakare | Apr 24, 2016

LONDON, ENGLAND - APRIL 23: Anthony Martial of Manchester United scores his sides second goal during The Emirates FA Cup semi final match between Everton and Manchester United at Wembley Stadium on April 23, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images) /

Manchester United booked their ticket for the final of the FA Cup with a thrilling 2-1 win over Everton on Saturday.

Manchester United had ups and downs in the game similar to the season as a whole but came out on top with an injury-time winner from Anthony Martial.

Marouane Fellaini repaid the faith of his manager with a good opening goal for the Red Devils. David De Gea was once again crucial for United as he saved one penalty in the second half and made another brilliant save to keep Everton at bay.

The Toffees, however, equalised on the 75-minute mark courtesy of an own goal from Chris Smalling. But Martial had a different script written in his mind as he showed great composure to get the winner for United.

Here are the takeaways from the game.

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Wayne Rooney should take a midfield role permanently

Van Gaal played Rooney in midfield as he did against Palace. Rooney delivered a very complete display in midfield against Everton. He was effective while tracking back and made a crucial off-the-line clearance in the first five minutes to deny Everton the lead.

He kept on spraying the ball across the field and was also neat with his short passing. He probably should have had an assist as he played a brilliant long ball towards Lingard. United have had a consistent front line for a few games now and Van Gaal should avoid tinkering it in order to accommodate Rooney. The captain has lost pace so should probably now get used to the midfield role permanently.

4-3-3 should be used irrespective of opponents

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United played their best football last year in a 4-3-3 formation, and there is no surprise that they are doing that again at the end of this season. They created a decent amount of chances in the formation compared to what they have done throughout the season when they played 4-2-3-1 with two defensive midfielders.

Van Gaal should stick with this formation if he wants to finish the season strongly and keep hopes of a top-four finish alive as some tough games are coming up against Leicester City and West Ham United.

Lingard continues to forget his shooting boots

Lingard has been a mainstay in United’s starting XI since making his first appearance this year in a 3-0 win over Everton at Goodison Park way back in October. The winger shows immense work-rate but lacks the cutting edge as his finishing lets him down. He was again without his shooting boots on Saturday as he missed two good chances in the game that could have buried Everton.

The 23-year-old has great chemistry with Martial and Rashford as there has been great linkup play between the trio. Lingard’s off-the-ball movement also helps in creating space for the other attacking players, but he surely needs to polish his finishing skills in order to play a crucial part for United on a long-term basis.

Fellaini can deliver if complemented well

Fellaini probably delivered his best game in a United shirt with a complete performance against Everton on Saturday. The lanky Belgian was pivotal for the Red Devils as he scored the first goal and made a goal-saving block at the other end to deny Romelu Lukaku from getting Everton’s second goal.

Fellaini once again showed that he can be a handy player if he is complemented well in midfield. Michael Carrick did the sitting role and the majority of the defensive work, while Rooney was the creative player in midfield, allowing Fellaini to be an attacking threat for the Red Devils in the box.

Van Gaal’s decision to stick Martial on the flank has paid off

Van Gaal has been criticised heavily this season for playing numerous players out of their favoured position, but his decision to stick with Martial on the left flank has paid off. The Frenchman started playing from the middle for United at the start of this season but was put on the wing for various reasons.

Next: United 2-1 Everton: Player Ratings

Martial has improved a lot as a left-winger. He continues to be a goal-scoring threat despite operating out wide. Van Gaal has made many wrong decisions but playing Martial on the left flank is not one of them.

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