Ed Woodward and the Manchester United hierarchy were chastised for their transfer business this summer, but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s shuffled pack still gives the Norwegian an imposingly strong hand.
How many clubs can make nine changes, from a team that had scored six at the weekend, and not look any weaker? Perhaps, in some areas, this was United’s strongest side against Everton.
United’s bench at the weekend had 341 international caps between them, with eight of those substitutes named in the starting line-up at a frosty Goodison Park as United looked to reach the last four of the Carabao Cup for the second consecutive season.
United purred in spells, dominated for much of it, but looked like they would be ultimately frustrated.
But this is the Premier League’s most in-form team, and even if it had a different look to it, the United juggernaut could not be stopped as two peripheral, but most potent of figures – Edinson Cavani and Anthony Martial – sent United through.
There was no Marcus Rashford or Martial up front from the start, but Cavani’s wealth of experience worked well with the vibrancy of Mason Greenwood.
Much has been made over whether Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes can play together, and Solskjaer has ignored the red devil on his shoulder telling him to go all out for much of the season.
Having got a taste for the good life against Leeds on Sunday, Solskjaer forgot his inhibitions and went with Pogba and Fernandes at Goodison, plus Donny van de Beek for good measure.
With fans present for potentially the last time as national lockdown looms large once more, the socially-distanced Gwladys Street Stand were stunned early on. United have become renowned for their slow starts this season, with it no secret they have fallen behind in every league game on the road.
Leeds could not contain United in the opening exchanges on Sunday, and an in-form Everton, much to the dismay of the 2,000 fans present, could only sit back and cling on as United threw everything at them from the first whistle.
One distraught Everton fan proclaimed: “Does anyone want it?” But no reply came back. United’s midfield diamond was rotating around as if it were on purple cushion on display in the Louvre, with Pogba, Van de Beek and Fernandes fluidly picking up dangerous positions.
Cavani was denied by a solid double save by Robin Olsen in the Everton goal, before Greenwood flicked a header onto the foot of the post.
The opening half hour was as well as United had played all season, but they faded towards the end of the opening period, as Gylfi Sigurdsson almost gave the hosts the lead from a free-kick, Dean Henderson springing across to make a fine save.
Henderson was out early for the second half to work on his short passing, obviously keen to avoid a repeat of his howler at Sheffield United, and soon enough he was joined by his team-mates, who again set about dominating the hosts.
Cavani again went close moments after the restart before he got away with a moment of madness when he seemed to grab Yerry Mina by the throat. No VAR in this competition, of course, much to the Uruguayan’s relief.
Rashford and Martial came on as Solskjaer went with three of a kind up top, with Martial laying on the most simple of goals for Cavani, who got the ball out of his feet before arrowing a strike into the bottom corner in the 88th minute – so simple its execution it begged the question why it took a dominant, multi-talented United so long to break the deadlock.
Like London buses, Martial added another in stoppage time to complete a different kind of victory to the annihilation of Leeds, but one equally as important.
Solskjaer insisted this week he and the club are “desperate” to win a trophy, and while the gravitas of the League Cup does dwindle year on year – the declining pedigree of the competition’s sponsors are evidence of such – picking up a first trophy would at least quieten calls for Mauricio Pochettino.
Jose Mourinho’s first trophy in England was the League Cup, and that is why he treats the competition with a high regard, as he knows the value of reigniting a winning mentality.
United’s memories of clinching silverware are starting to get a little hazy, and the longer they go without that experience of emerging as the last team standing at the end of battle royale that a cup competition can feel like, the longer it will be to take the next step in their quest to return to their former grandeur. This was is just another step, but even as the games continue to come, United, regardless of who dons the shirt, are showing no sign of relenting.
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