View from the press box: Everton 0 United 3
It had been a relatively surreal Sunday afternoon at Goodison Park even before Alejandro Garnacho’s magnificent opening goal.
In a work capacity, it was my first visit to Everton’s historic home ground, although coming from a family that is half-Evertonian, I have been lucky enough to visit the stadium before and have probably developed a soft spot for Goodison and its renowned atmosphere as a result.
The crowd noise when the players emerged from the tunnel to the Z Cars’ theme tune was spine-tingling, and it had an extra edge to it, of course, with the home supporters in a boisterous mood as they protested against the Premier League for their recent 10-point deduction.
This was coupled visually with a display of pink cards across the ground, as the home supporters held up signs. It was an extraordinary experience.
The crowd noise when the players emerged from the tunnel to the Z Cars’ theme tune was spine-tingling, and it had an extra edge to it, of course, with the home supporters in a boisterous mood as they protested against the Premier League for their recent 10-point deduction.
This was coupled visually with a display of pink cards across the ground, as the home supporters held up signs. It was an extraordinary experience.
All the Angles: Garnacho v Everton Video
All the Angles: Garnacho v Everton
Watch Alejandro Garnacho’s Goal-of-the-Season contender again and again and again – you know you want to…
However, Garnacho’s third-minute acrobatics instantly took things to another level.
I am not sure if it is possible to have a bad view of a goal like that, but watching from the press box on the opposite side to where Diogo Dalot’s cross came in from, I was ‘right behind it’ as they say, when it hit the net. A perfect look as the ball looped beyond the stretch of Jordan Pickford in the Everton goal.
What I remember is naturally putting my hand to my face in complete shock, for the nature of the goal of course, but also probably for how Alejandro seamlessly appeared to adjust to the delivery’s flight before connecting with it expertly.
The journalists around me exchanged staggered looks, the travelling Reds were in bedlam in the far corner and an expressive home crowd had been stunned into silence for a few moments.
As the club’s reporter on location, my job was to instantly try to provide comment and colour about what had just happened for our live-blog coverage, but it would be fair to say the goal took me (and I imagine several of the other journalists there) a few moments to process. Can you do a strike that good justice with words?
I am not sure if it is possible to have a bad view of a goal like that, but watching from the press box on the opposite side to where Diogo Dalot’s cross came in from, I was ‘right behind it’ as they say, when it hit the net. A perfect look as the ball looped beyond the stretch of Jordan Pickford in the Everton goal.
What I remember is naturally putting my hand to my face in complete shock, for the nature of the goal of course, but also probably for how Alejandro seamlessly appeared to adjust to the delivery’s flight before connecting with it expertly.
The journalists around me exchanged staggered looks, the travelling Reds were in bedlam in the far corner and an expressive home crowd had been stunned into silence for a few moments.
As the club’s reporter on location, my job was to instantly try to provide comment and colour about what had just happened for our live-blog coverage, but it would be fair to say the goal took me (and I imagine several of the other journalists there) a few moments to process. Can you do a strike that good justice with words?
I remember saying to a colleague next to me at half-time – while we remained 1-0 up after weathering a storm of first-half Everton attacks – about not wanting it to be a meaningless moment in an eventual draw or loss. Satisfyingly, it isn’t.
Erik ten Hag’s side really took control of the contest in the second half, and goals after the interval from Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial made for an all-round afternoon to remember on Merseyside.
90 in 20: Everton v United Video
90 in 20: Everton v United
90 in 20 | Watch extended highlights from the Reds' trip to Goodison Park here...
Regardless of what happened in the encounter, it may be a day that we were always going to have a reason to look back on anyway, with it potentially being United’s final-ever trip to Goodison Park, as Everton prepare to move to their new state-of-the art stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock next season.
I’m not sure about you, but I’m easily wowed by the new grounds (I was mightily impressed by the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when we were there in April) but also somewhat of a traditionalist at heart.
Walking around Goodison a couple of hours before kick-off yesterday, you could really feel the history and legacy that exists there – even without the timeline of pictures on the stadium’s walls. It will be sad to see it no longer host football matches in the not-too-distant future.
I’m not sure about you, but I’m easily wowed by the new grounds (I was mightily impressed by the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium when we were there in April) but also somewhat of a traditionalist at heart.
Walking around Goodison a couple of hours before kick-off yesterday, you could really feel the history and legacy that exists there – even without the timeline of pictures on the stadium’s walls. It will be sad to see it no longer host football matches in the not-too-distant future.
United fans have been able to enjoy good (with a share of bad) days at the ground over the years, and it has become a popular venue among our travelling supporters.
The Reds' contingent in south corner of the Bullens Stand on Sunday afternoon can add that to the collection of positive days out for United in the blue half of the L4 postcode and, if it is to be the last, what a trip it was.
The opinions in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Manchester United Football Club.
The Reds' contingent in south corner of the Bullens Stand on Sunday afternoon can add that to the collection of positive days out for United in the blue half of the L4 postcode and, if it is to be the last, what a trip it was.
The opinions in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Manchester United Football Club.
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