Manchester United Best Composed Play Earns Them a Smart Victory at Goodison Park
Manchester United showed that calm heads can win heated battles.
On Sunday night (9th April, 2022) at Goodison Park, Erik ten Hag’s men recovered from a rocky start to clinch a 2-1 win over Everton, thanks to goals from Antony and Cristiano Ronaldo.
It wasn’t just the goals that stood out, but how they were crafted.
The Red Devils didn’t panic after Alex Iwobi gave Everton a 5th-minute lead. Instead, they stuck to their game plan: methodical, patient, and focused.
Patience Pays Off
This win wasn’t built on chaos or luck. It was built on structure. Ten Hag’s system encourages building from the back, looking for opportunities rather than forcing them.
And on the night, it paid dividends.
United’s equalizer came from a quick, clinical forward burst, while the second, Ronaldo’s 700th career club goal, was a reward for direct play and precise finishing.
But the real show came later.
The 17-Pass Statement
Early in the second half, United demonstrated their new identity.
In just 40 seconds, they strung together 17 passes starting from their own half, calmly shifting Everton’s defense before injecting tempo at the perfect moment.
It began with Rashford and Ronaldo linking up deep.
Then came Christian Eriksen’s pinpoint cross-field pass, Fernandes’ intelligent positioning, Shaw’s patience, and eventually Antony cutting back to Casemiro, whose cross found Ronaldo, but the header flew over.
Even though it didn’t end in a goal, that move summed up what Ten Hag wants from this side: control, timing, and awareness.
United once crumbled in these situations, rushing, misplacing passes, and running out of ideas. Not this time.
Growing Under Ten Hag
It’s not all perfect, far from it. The team is still learning and has had its fair share of stumbles this season.
But what’s obvious now is the growth in mentality and approach.
They’re adapting. They’re starting to believe in structure over chaos.
United aren’t back to their best, but the pieces are falling into place.
Calmness, clarity, and execution, those are the building blocks Ten Hag is banking on.
As the weeks go on, United fans will hope this patience continues to turn into progress.
It’s not flashy, but it’s the kind of football that wins battles, and maybe, someday soon, titles too.
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