Manchester United v Everton: FA Cup third round – live

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Here’s Adam Roberts on Frank Stapleton and noise, lots of noise

“Absolutely huge reaction. Coming so late in the game and relying on the aerial power of Macari added an extra layer of hilarity and joy. And it was the sixth round, so a big deal. Sadly, I missed the Barcelona game as I had left Manchester on March 1st to start a new job and couldn’t take time off to go back.”

Everton had quietly battered United as well, which I suspect made the goal all the sweeter. “The secret ingredient is crime” and all that.

“Hey Rob, I could never claim to be a fan of Cremonese, Sampdoria, Juventus, Chelsea, or even Italy, but, as you say, for some reason this one has hit hard,” says Simon McMahon. “Still young, just after a World Cup, just before an FA Cup third round weekend. Life, and football, goes on, both enriched by memories of the greats. RIP Gianluca Vialli.”

Yeah, there’s usually a lot of subtext in tributes, but almost everything today has honest and unvarnished. Also, anyone who scores a sliding header is clearly a bit special.

Frank Lampard’s pre-match interview

“[Is this as hard as it’s been at Everton?] Maybe Crystal Palace at Goodison last season [when they came from 2-0 down to win 3-2 and stay up] was the hardest because of the jeopardy of the game. That’s the situation I did come into. We have to keep working – there has been pressure and noise this week, and that happens in Premier League football, it happens at Everton. Fortunately I’m tough to that, and I’ll get on with my job, and the job tonight is to play a really strong team and try to get through to the next round.

“Dominic [Calvert-Lewin] felt some fatigue during the game against Brighton and specifically the morning after. We had a long chat yesterday, and the medical team’s advice – and Dominic’s feeling – was that for him to play 90 minutes would have risked an injury.

“[How much do you need a result tonight?] I dunno. In the normal sense of course, because it’s the FA Cup, and there’s pride and there’s history, and we’re Everton. I want us to perform well, that’s my main concern.”

“Thanks for posting that clip from the 1983 game,” says Adam Roberts. “ I was stood in the left side of the Stretford End and the shot from Big Frank Stapleton was coming straight at me. Even sweeter was my best friend is an Everton supporter who loathed Lou Macari. Happy days.”

Well, was it loud as it sounds? A lot folk say it was behind only Barcelona, and maybe Ajax in 1976-77.

“Good evening,” says Jeff Sachs. “You deserve a weekend off.”

I need to do overtime so that I can afford to buy you this.

We know all about the FA Cup finals between these two – a famous win apiece in 1985 and 1995 – but the last time they met in this competition at Old Trafford also produced a moment to remember. United had been outplayed for most of a goalless game when, in injury time, Ron Atkinson decided to send on Lou Macari. The result was, Barcelona 1984 aside, possibly the loudest roar ever heard at Old Trafford.

“Hi Rob,” says Matt Burtz. “You’re well aware by now that I’m not hesitant to write about Everton, but I’ve not much to say right now. Today’s lineup is one put out by a man who knows this one result may save or cost him his job; it’s quite similar to what obtained the draw with Manchester City last weekend. Frankly (pun intended) it’s the kind of lineup that should have been put out against Brighton; maybe if it had, Lampard’s job wouldn’t be on the line.

“Changes need to be made all through the club, from the top down, and though the current situation isn’t all Lampard’s fault, I don’t think he survives a loss as they have Southampton at home next week which is a six-pointer if there ever was one. Bleak times to be part of the blue half of Merseyside, with not much light at the end of the tunnel.”

Gianluca Vialli didn’t play for Manchester United or Everton, but his sense of fairness helped keep Everton in the Premier League back in the day.

Some deaths, and they’re pretty bloody relentless once you reach a certain age, hit harder than others. The enormous affection in the tributes to Vialli – look how many refer to the person before the footballer – tell their own story.

The teams in formation

Man Utd (4-2-3-1ish) De Gea; Dalot, Varane, Shaw, Malacia; Casemiro, Eriksen; Antony, Fernandes, Rashford; Martial.
Substitutes: Heaton, Lindelof, Maguire, Martinez, Wan-Bissaka, Fred, McTominay, Elanga, Garnacho.

Everton (5-3-2) Pickford; Coleman, Godfrey, Coady, Tarkowski, Mykolenko; Iwobi, Gueye, Onana; Maupay, Gray.
Substitutes: Begovic, Holgate, McNeil, Calvert-Lewin, Gordon, Mina, Doucoure, Davies, Simms.

Referee Darren England.

Team news

Well this is a pleasant surprise: both managers have picked close to their strongest available sides. There are four changes apiece, though many of those are improvements with key players returning from injury or suspension.

Erik ten Hag brings in Diogo Dalot, Raphael Varane, Tyrell Malacia and Antony for Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Victor Lindelof, Harry Maguire and Donny van de Beek.

Frank Lampard reverts to the back five that worked so well at the Etihad Stadium last Saturday. Seamus Coleman replaces Nathan Patterson at right-back, while Ben Godfrey, Amadou Onana and Neal Maupay come in for Tom Davies, Dwight McNeil and Dominic Calvert-Lewin. The talismanic Anthony Gordon is back among the subs.

Preamble

What’s this all about then? Is Manchester United v Everton a cracking start to the FA Cup third round, an untimely inconvenience, a chance for Frank Lampard to save his job or something else?

Even though both teams are enduring an unpleasant trophy drought – six years for United, 28 for Everton – it feels like their biggest priority is the Premier League. United want to finish in the top four and qualify for the Champions League; Everton want to finish outside the bottom three and not qualify for the Championship.

Nothing speaks of limited ambition like eight unforced changes, so the team news – due any second now – should tell us how important this game is for both managers.

Kick off 8pm.