When, on Wednesday night, Bryan Oviedo thumped his winning strike into the back of Manchester United’s net, the Costa Rican delivered a genuinely defining football moment – one that revealed a great deal about the two teams on show.
The night’s headline, of course, was that Everton had won at Old Trafford for the first time since August 1992 and, for good measure, achieved that feat against a team managed by the man who left them in May to advance his own career.
That David Moyes failed to guide the Toffees to victory at the home of the present champions during his eleven years on Merseyside has been lost on nobody. It is, however, the manner of the now Roberto Martinez led Everton’s victory, and the style of their match-winning goal, which combine to symbolise the remarkable transformation that both United and the Blues have undergone in a distinctly short period of time.
It would stretch credibility to suggest that the left-back in any of Moyes’ Everton sides, if they had been tied 0-0 away at Manchester United with just four minutes to play, might have steamed onto his centre-forward’s ball across the six-yard box and applied a killer touch.
What’s more, when Oviedo pounced, Seamus Coleman, his fellow full-back and a player involved at the move’s inception, was one of three other blue shirts charging into the box. The precision pass into the feet of Romelu Lukaku – the man who supplied the final ball – was made from a position deep in opposing territory by a centre-half – Phil Jagielka.
Oviedo’s late strike capped a display in which Everton were as good as their manager’s pre-match word. Martinez vowed that his team would take to Old Trafford the same desire to get on the ball and express themselves as has been evident throughout the Spaniard’s embryonic Goodison Park reign.
Under Moyes, Everton had evolved well beyond the Scot’s early years which were characterised by a restoration of solidity, and a determined ability to grind out victories – attributes that had dissolved as Walter Smith’s miserable tenure drifted aimlessly along.
With the addition of high-calibre, technically proficient footballers such as; Steven Pienaar, Kevin Mirallas, and, yes, Marouane Fellaini, allied to the flourishing talents of Leighton Baines and, intermittently, Leon Osman, the Scot’s latter Everton outfits were capable of producing some thrilling, eye-catching football. A number of inferior visitors, as well as a fair few more illustrious adversaries, left Goodison having been in receipt of a complete working over.
It is, therefore, conceivable that Saturday’s 4-0 hammering of Stoke City could have occurred under Martinez’s predecessor. With Moyes in charge, though, Evertonians would have been less than astonished if they subsequently watched a routine defeat in Manchester – an event sure to be followed by the manager expressing his satisfaction at taking three points out of the last six available.
Similarly, it is quite certain that at 2-1 down, and with time running out in a Merseyside derby, Moyes’ Everton would have been incapable of wearing their city rivals down by applying the relentless, sheer pace of their slick football on a foe that habitually appeared to suck the life from recent Toffees’ sides. Furthermore, after equalising, the prospect of Everton then going on and taking a lead – albeit one that was short-lived – would have been extremely unlikely.
None of that should detract from Moyes’ primarily excellent spell on Merseyside. The 50 year-old entirely altered perceptions and expectations of a club that was rudderless, and arguably at an ebb every bit as low as when they flirted with relegation in 1994 and 1998, when he arrived in March 2002.
Correspondingly, fourteen Premier League matches is not enough evidence on which to declare Martinez’s appointment to the Goodison hot-seat a confirmed success. Nevertheless, in a little over six months, the former Wigan Athletic manager has concurrently implemented a change in on-pitch concept, and shifted player and supporter attitudes to a point where the collective believe that they can emerge on top from any contest. Crucially, the 40 year-old has also strengthened his playing resources.
It is a body of work that has suppressed the doubts harboured regarding their incoming boss by any fans of Martinez’s new club. His time at Wigan ending with the team’s relegation into the Championship cast a dark shadow over an otherwise impressive four years in Lancashire – a period which followed more than two high achieving years in command at Swansea City.
Of particular concern among Toffees was that under Martinez their side would lose the defensive assurance for which it had become renowned. Was the ability of the man that they were recruiting best represented by Wigan’s awful late season capitulation against Swansea, a horror show which all but condemned the Latics to their bottom three finish, or the perfectly executed tactical master class that was too much for Manchester City in May’s FA Cup final?
Wins at Manchester United and at home to Chelsea, both without conceding, are cause for optimism that it is Martinez’s efforts in keeping Wigan afloat in the Premier League for three years, and overseeing that cup triumph, which tell the true story. Eight clean sheets and the attainment of imperious heights in games against West Ham United, Newcastle United, and Aston Villa grant extra credence to that argument.
Strikingly on Wednesday, Fellaini, now re-united with Moyes, was overrun and outfoxed respectively, by James McCarthy’s endeavour and drive, and the clinical expertise of Gareth Barry. The Evertonian duo, both August transfer deadline day acquisitions, possibly represent the strongest midfield pairing that Everton have fielded since Joe Royle’s formidable mid-1990’s combination of Barry Horne and Joe Parkinson.
United supporters will point to the absence on Wednesday of Michael Carrick in mitigation for their side’s relinquishing of control in the middle of the park. They will do well to remember that their opponents were shorn of the terrific, but injury jinxed, former Red Devil Darron Gibson – a player who would assuredly nail down a spot in the champions’ current line-up.
The denizens of Old Trafford must be counting the days until the return of Robin Van Persie; along with Wayne Rooney the star turn in Moyes’ ranks, and the man scored the lone goal against Arsenal which looked to have kick-started the new era. United’s win against the league leaders was earned in precisely the fashion that Evertonians would recognise from their own hard won home victories under Moyes’ management over the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, and Arsenal.
Having grabbed a first-half lead, United closed spaces, defended with commendable discipline and, ultimately, created a barrier that Arsenal were unable to breach.
On Wednesday, without an advantage to cling to, the mass of bodies behind the ball – an unusual sight in itself with 90 minutes approaching and United level in a game – became confused and panicked as Everton pressed. It was un-Moyes like and, most certainly, un-Manchester United like.
Without Van Persie, Rooney operated with a familiar support cast of Danny Welbeck, Antonio Valencia, and Shinji Kagawa. While that trio couldn’t exert a conclusive influence, the identity of Everton’s goal-scorer served to further highlight the shortcomings in this United squad. Oviedo’s inclusion in the visitors’ team came purely as a result of their being denied the services, due to injury, of perhaps their finest player, Leighton Baines.
As Sir Alex Ferguson’s replacement, the man tasked with sustaining an unprecedented degree of success for his new employees will rightly be afforded the patience that it is becoming progressively clear he requires.
There must be some alarm, though, within a boardroom and support base so accustomed to glory concerning the sluggish nature of Moyes’ early stewardship. Moreover, the spotlight on Old Trafford’s latest Glaswegian boss is growing fiercer due to the speed with which Martinez is imposing his will and style on the Everton team he left behind.
Ovideo’s goal, then, came loaded with significance. The ensuing months will tell us quite how much.
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