October 1984 were exciting times for Everton fans. Having beaten Liverpool at Anfield for the first time in 14 years, the momentum behind Howard Kendall's team rolled on as they went to Czechoslovakia and defeated Inter Bratislava 1-0 in the first leg of the European Cup Winners' Cup second round.
Many felt that the win across Stanley Park was confirmation that Everton were bona fide title contenders. But another examination of their credentials was just around the corner. Manchester United had only conceded nine goals in their eleven league matches before arriving at Goodison Park, and with Liverpool struggling, Ron Atkinson's outfit were seen as title favourites.
Come 4.45 on Saturday October 27, a lot of predictions were being hastily adjusted. Everton and Manchester United may have started that afternoon level on points - both five behind early leaders Arsenal - yet Kendall's team would put in a display that suggested the gulf between the clubs was vast.
"If our 1-0 win at Liverpool suggested that we were a force to be reckoned with, then the match just seven days later confirmed it beyond a shadow of a doubt," Graeme Sharp wrote in Sharpy. The Mail would label the win as "Everton's finest hour". The Sunday Times called it "Blue Murder at Goodison."
United did have defensive injury concerns leading up to the fixture. With John Gidman and Mike Duxbury both out, Kevin Moran would move across to right back in what would prove a painful experience for the Irish international. Unfortunately for Moran, he would come up against a player desperate to make up for lost time.
Kevin Sheedy had missed the previous six matches, but he would take just five minutes to make his mark. Derek Mountfield had already spurned an opportunity before Sheedy headed in Trevor Steven's cross to give Everton the lead. The goal proved costly for Moran.
Attempting to beat Sheedy to the cross, Moran succeeded only in headbutting the back of Sheedy's head, leaving the Everton wide man requiring stitches. A dazed Moran tried his best to continue, before admitting defeat in the 26th minute. By this time, Everton had already doubled their lead.
Combining brilliantly with Adrian Heath on Everton's left, Sheedy burst into the box before firing an unstoppable left-footed drive past the helpless Gary Bailey. Moran would be replaced by Frank Stapleton, forcing Remi Moses to move to right back. United's midfield, already under siege, would be in for a torrid afternoon.
Sheedy-Reid-Bracewell-Steven; a midfield that rolls off the tongue. It was hardly surprising that with performances like this that Reid, Bracewell and Steven would earn England debuts in 1985. Patrick Barclay neatly summed up the superiority of Everton's quartet in his Guardian report, pointing out that United's midfield "played butter to Everton's knives."
Everton continued to swarm over their startled opponents, and just after the half hour mark Heath swept in another Steven cross to put the game to bed. Despite losing Sheedy to a groin injury in the second half, the attacking blue wave continued. Sharp missed two decent chances, and Arthur Albiston cleared an effort off the line from Heath. Everton were relentless.
The icing on top of the cake was provided by a Gary Stevens 20-yard drive; the cherry added by Sharp's 87th minute header. Everton's 5-0 win handed United their heaviest league defeat since they lost 6-0 to Ipswich in March 1980. The majority of the 40,742 spectators went home elated.
For the Everton players involved, this match lives long in the memory. Sheedy wrote in So Good I Did it Twice that it was "the day I fully realised that I was part of an Everton team that was heading for the stars." In Cheer Up Peter Reid, the author states: "...this is in no way an exaggeration, our performance was the best that I was involved in as a professional footballer."
Reid also recalls that Joe Mercer entered the dressing room to heap praise on the players. "I've seen Brazil play in blue today," the former Everton player announced, before informing journalists that, "I have never seen an Everton side play better." Whilst Everton's players soaked up the adulation, Atkinson kept his squad locked in for an hour.
Understandably, journalists added to the many words of praise relating to Everton's destruction of United. "Manchester United were annihilated by an Everton side that will take a lot of stopping," Nick Pitt wrote in the Sunday Times. "In every department Everton's superiority was astonishing."
Peter Ball in the Observer: "United were not so much beaten as destroyed, their credibility in tatters as their hugely expensive collection of talents came off second best in every area of the field, Everton's greater appetite and determination winning every battle."
The thrashing handed to United was confirmation, if needed, that Kendall
had built a squad capable of challenging for the title. Everton's win
pushed them to second in the table, now two points behind Arsenal, their highest league position since March 1979.
Three days later, the teams would meet again at Old Trafford in the Milk Cup third round. Coming from behind to win 2-1, Kendall's men were injecting confidence into their veins, Everton fans overdosing on the joy their team was providing. United would gain revenge at Wembley come the end of the season, but it was apparent at Goodison Park which club was destined for a serious tilt at the championship.
"Perhaps the championship will stay on Merseyside after all," Ball noted after Everton's 5-0 demolition job, one of many journalists now arriving at the justifiable conclusion that this team were made of the right stuff. After what Kendall called "as fine a team performance as you could wish to see," it was easy to see why.
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