We should have coped better

Ryan Giggs says the Reds should not have allowed Everton's gutsy second half display to upset their rhythm after totally outplaying the home side before the break.

The Reds utterly dominated the first period with Giggs pulling the strings in the centre of midfield and it was the skipper's pinpoint pass into the path of Darren Fletcher which led to United's opener on 21 minutes.

But a rejuvenated Everton side, no doubt given the hairdryer treatment by David Moyes at half-time, came out fighting after the restart eventually drawing level through Marouane Fellaini.

"We knew we needed that second goal because we expected Everton to put us under a lot of pressure after the break and that's how it proved," Giggs told MUTV.

"They got in about us, got the ball forward to Louis [Saha] and Yakubu who are both a handful, and in general made it difficult for us.

"We should have been able to overcome that though because it's something we're used to. But unfortunately we couldn't really get back into our rhythm and we just didn't pass and move as well as we did before the break.

"When you go 1-0 ahead at a place like this you do feel it's two points dropped," added the 34-year-old. "But in the end we could have lost it. So we're disappointed, but know it could have been worse."

While Everton's blood and thunder approach ultimately earned them a valuable point, it also somewhat irked Sir Alex's men particularly when former Red Phil Neville clattered into Cristiano Ronaldo midway through the second period.

"Tackles were flying in and you accept that in these kind of games," said Giggs. "But I felt Cristiano was on the floor and couldn't really defend himself."