“It was not different in position” - Ruben Amorim shares what he told Manchester United players at half-time before 2-2 comeback against Everton
Manchester United coach Ruben Amorim has revealed what he told his players at the break as they came back from two goals down to draw 2-2 against Everton. The Red Devils avoided a third successive defeat in the Premier League, picking up a point from their trip to Merseyside.
Following successive league defeats to Crystal Palace and Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester United faced a real danger of three successive defeats against the in-form Toffees. They endured a disappointing first half in which they failed to register an attempt on target and found themselves two goals down by the break.
Ruben Amorim's side managed to turn things around in the second period, coming away from Goodison Park with a point. The Portuguese tactician revealed after the game that he asked his players not to change anything in terms of their positions, but to change their intensity.
“At half-time I said no matter the result we are going to do what we did in the week, with more energy. It was not different in position. Different in quality," he said.
Amorim's side showed a different display in the second half, with captain Bruno Fernandes playing a key role with a goal that began their comeback. They had a couple of good chances to win the game, with the manager showing greater trust in his bench than he did last week at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.
Manchester United survived a late scare as the VAR denied Everton a penalty in added time when Ashley Young was determined to have dived inside the box. Ruben Amorim's record stands at four wins from 15 league games in charge of the Red Devils, and his side remain in 15th place on the table.
Manchester United claim hard-earned point at Goodison Park
Manchester United picked up their first league point in nearly a month as they came from two goals down to draw 2-2 against Everton at Goodison Park. The Red Devils avoided defeat and remain in 15th place in the league, with 30 points from 26 games.
Everton opened the scoring after 19 minutes through in-form Beto before Abdoulaye Doucoure doubled the lead on his return to action 14 minutes later. The Toffees prevented their visitors from registering any attempts on target as they kept them at bay with ease throughout the first period.
Manchester United exerted more control in the second half and were rewarded in the 72nd minute as Bruno Fernandes fired an inch-perfect free-kick into the bottom corner with his side's first shot on target. The Red Devils needed just eight minutes to score a second, with Manuel Ugarte rifling home a fine half-volley for his first goal in red.
Neither side managed to score a winner despite Everton appearing to win a late penalty, but the VAR overturned the referee's decision. The Toffees remain one point ahead of the Red Devils on the table after the game.
