Including Shea Lacey call: Three tactical errors by manager Ruben Amorim haunt Man United vs Everton

Manchester United suffered a rare home defeat to Everton in the Premier League on Monday.

Midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall put the visitors in front after Idrissa Gueye was sent off for striking teammate Michael Keane.

The Red Devils had almost 80 minutes to play with a numerical advantage but failed to break Everton down.

The players were miles off the pace, but manager Ruben Amorim must shoulder an equal share of the blame for a night where almost everything went wrong.

The Portuguese coach made three major tactical missteps, each contributing to a defeat that could leave a lasting scar on United’s season.

Getting his starting XI wrong

There was absolutely no justification for fielding five defenders at home to Everton, especially with United riding the momentum of a five-match unbeaten run.

Neither Noussair Mazraoui nor Patrick Dorgu offered the width needed to stretch the game in the final third, leaving United predictable and blunt.

Mazraoui looks better suited to a right-sided centre-back spot, where he can step up to midfield and allow Fernandes to take advance positions.

His inclusion alongside Dorgu made Amorim start Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo in the number 10 positions.

Mason Mount should have started on the left side of the attacking midfield duo, with Diallo operating at right wing-back.

Awful Patrick Dorgu substitution

Dorgu had a miserable outing. He took advanced positions but disappointed with his final delivery.

United desperately needed an injection of dynamism on that flank, yet Amorim bizarrely turned to Diogo Dalot.

Predictably, Dalot added no threat in the final third, leaving United heavily reliant on their right side for any meaningful attacks.

A smarter tweak would have been introducing Lisandro Martinez for Dorgu in the final 20 minutes and shifting Luke Shaw to the wing-back role.

Martinez is a fantastic ball distributor and could have suffocated Everton through central channels, while Shaw was the only defender consistently capable of delivering a quality cross.

Not trusting the United academy

The Red Devils have had a rich history of scoring late goals with the players rising through the ranks.

All eyes were on Shea Lacey, named in the senior squad for the first time and ready to seize his moment.

With United chasing the game, Amorim should have thrown caution to the wind and unleashed the teenager in the final 10 minutes.

The 18-year-old was the only attacking option available to Amorim after injuries to Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko.

Lacey could easily have replaced Leny Yoro, especially when Everton were sitting deep and simply clearing everything long.

Amorim has shown a lack of trust in the United academy, which is a worrying trait for a club built on youth.

Article written by Sanidhya Bhardwaj .