Since Nzogbia has returned

As an Everton fan, I offer no excuses for today's dismal display.....BUT, what is wrong with the Old Trafford pitch?

Supposedly, one of the biggest sides in World football, playing on a pitch that most Sunday morning footballers would complain about - I've never seen such a lifeless football pitch in my life, it was as though they were playing with a flat ball today, because everytime it landed on the deck any momentum simply went.

I'm not saying its a deliberate thing, but it definitely favours a side which is used to playing on that type of surface - Any coincidence its like that as it gets closer to taking on a Real Madrid side, which relies heavily on a free flowing football that will be impossible to play?

Another frustrating day for Everton. Had more than enough possession and territory to win that game again today. But the lack of incisiveness going forward and having Heitinga at the back kept them from getting a result they probably deserved.

They gave Rafael MOM today, but he was fourth or fifth in the list. Evans, Jones, Vidic and Giggs all ahead of him for me. They showed Everton a lot of respect today, overloading their right hand side and man marking Fellaini throughout. Moyes, disappointingly, didn't even try to do anything about that.

Says a lot about a team when you man mark a player to stop them hoofing it to him, and it completely shuts them down.

Oof!

Says more about United that they were able to do it. Pretty much everyone does it and it doesn't usually make a difference.

Everton had plenty of good opportunities today, Mirallas was free down the right several times and chose the wrong ball back across, Baines got clear twice. We were just terrible in the pass choice and even when we did get it right, United would get a toe to it and divert it out of the path of the Everton player.

It was a very similar game to the 4-4, just that Everton lacked the cutting edge. United were never comfortable today, they never kept possession long enough to ever get control of the game.

Has anybody worked out what Gareth Barry was actually trying to do?

Looks pretty simple to me. He was just trying to put it the other side of the post. It was a cross he had to deal with, he didn't know who was behind him or how close, so he couldn't try and hook it out for a throw. A simple clean connection and putting the ball about 6ft to the right of the post would have been fine.

He just messed up with the kick and put the ball in the corner of the net.

Nearly all strikers will have been in a similar position, aiming for the corner and struck it wide.

It was so low percentage though. And funny.

Harry Redknapp "flattered to be linked" to Vatican job.

"It's a triffic church, some good cardinals"