Manchester United legend Paddy Crerand feels the Reds will have to battle for every ball if three points are to be gained at Goodison Park this weekend.
United visit Everton in the Premier League on Sunday, looking to extend a winning run against the Toffees to four consecutive meetings.
However, our Merseyside hosts are in good form and have kept a clean sheet in their last three home games – against Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea – and have picked up seven points from the nine on offer in those encounters.
Crerand was involved in many tussles with the Toffees during his years as a player and has covered countless games there as a pundit, so he knows how difficult it will be to win this Sunday.
“It’s always tough when you play Everton,” he told us. “You won’t get it easy playing them, you can bet your life on that.
“We need to fight tooth and nail for everything we can get. The rivalry between United and Everton isn’t as intense as it is between Liverpool and United, but Everton will still be a difficult game.”
Paddy also knows that the home fans at Goodison Park can whip up a daunting environment for the opposition.
“It’s an old stadium that’s got a great atmosphere and it’s absolutely electric in there,” he said. “They’ve got a fantastic support. A win would be a big scalp for United because it’s a really tough ground.”
Sunday’s game has added meaning for the Reds, as it might prove crucial in our hunt to secure a top-four finish. We’re currently sixth in the table, but could be third by the end of the weekend should results go our way.
“We have to finish in the top four now,” said Paddy, acknowledging United’s Champions League exit in midweek. “It makes every game between now and the end of the season a massive match.”
Our former European Cup-winning midfielder knows Everton have plenty of attacking threats to worry United, but thinks Marco Silva’s side could also prove difficult to break down on Sunday due to their talented defensive players.
