Premier League prediction: Everton’s woeful form means Rooney will be dreading Old Trafford visit

LONDON - He’s probably not the type to look too far into the distance, but there’s a part of Wayne Rooney that must have fantasised, even just a teeny bit, about conjuring up a fairytale return to Old Trafford in the blue of Everton.

The pride of a standing ovation, the buzz of trying to upset his former club, the satisfaction of making Jose Mourinho look foolish for writing him off, and the tantalising prospect of choosing what to do if he scored a goal at the Stretford End.

As soon as he realised an early return to Manchester was on the cards, he must have pictured those scenarios.

He scored at the Etihad, but reality has come crashing down over the last seven days, so those positive pre-match thoughts may well have turned to dread.

Embarrassed 0-3 at home to Tottenham Hotspur, and mauled by the same score at the hands of Italian minnows Atalanta in the Europa League, the Toffees approach this Rooney reunion in dreadful shape.

Manager Ronald Koeman has labeled them ‘too nice’ but there are far stronger, fairer, adjectives that could be used to describe their last two performances. I’d start somewhere closer to ‘pitiful’.

Another sloppy no-show - and remember they were beaten 0-2 by Chelsea the week before – will leave Everton in crisis, and Rooney’s face will be as red as his former employers’ shirts by the time the final whistle blows.

Instead of enjoying his return to the Theatre of Dreams, there’s a very real prospect Rooney will hate every second of it.

On the flip side, Romelu Lukaku will be feeling far more chipper about of his own reunion.

While I still don’t rate him among world football’s elite (there are so many areas of his game that can improve), I couldn’t have been more impressed by the way this young Belgian has puffed out his chest and shown the world he belongs at Old Trafford.

Some characters can’t handle the burden that the Manchester United badge brings, but Lukaku has been on a mission to show he’s comfortable with it.

Six goals in six starts, failing to notch in only one outing so far, Mourinho’s new No 9 has been outstanding for a team that’s supplying significantly better service than he received at Goodison Park.

At the time, I felt United overpaid for his services, but that opinion should probably be revised.

Surrounded by better quality, he looks a much finer player, and I’d back him to continue his hot streak by scoring against a team that’s failed to adequately replace him.

Having a close pal like Paul Pogba to hang out with off the pitch has certainly helped Lukaku feel more at home, but in the one piece of bad news for United ahead of kick off, the Frenchman is sidelined for a month with a hamstring injury. They’ll miss him.

One man’s loss is another’s gain though, so expect Marouane Fellaini to feature against his former side too.

The theme of this weekend’s north-west clash seems to be old friends reunited.

Based on form, I doubt Rooney will be the one smiling when they all catch up for a lemonade in the players’ lounge afterwards.

If Everton don’t put up a better fight, he won’t be able to get out of his old stomping ground quickly enough.

Prediction: Manchester United 2 Everton 0

Manchester United v Everton (Sunday, 11pm, Singtel Ch102 and StarHub Ch227)

About the author: Adrian Clarke is a former Arsenal midfielder who has played at every level of the English game. Now an experienced sports journalist, he writes for TODAY as well as several top football websites. Follow him on Twitter @adrianjclarke