Manchester United's Disappointing Draw Against Everton: Carrick's Concerns

Michael Carrick admitted Manchester United’s 2-2 draw felt like a defeat – and then dropped a worrying hint over Marcus Rashford’s fitness.

United twice led and twice threw it away late on in a chaotic finish, before Rashford, their most dangerous player on the night, was forced off after “feeling a bit of something.”

United lose grip in frantic finale

United looked in control when Bryan Mbeumo lit up the night with a superb curling strike, a finish that gave Carrick’s side the ideal platform. They had managed the game, held their shape, and carried a threat on both flanks.

Then it all unraveled.

Tyrique George dragged Everton level in the 83rd minute with an equally eye-catching effort from distance, punishing United as they dropped a yard and allowed space on the edge of the box.

United responded. Benjamin Sesko rose to head them back in front two minutes from time, a goal that felt like a late winner and seemed to rescue the narrative: wasteful at times, but resilient enough to get over the line.

Not quite.

Debutant Ainsley Maitland-Niles stepped up with a stunning strike into the top corner, another long-range dagger that left United’s defenders staring at each other and Carrick staring at the turf. Two points gone. Two wonder goals conceded. No time to fix it.

“Yeah, we're disappointed, bitterly disappointed,” Carrick said. “To be up in the position we were in, [leading] the game twice and so close to the end… to then come away like that leaves us… yeah, it's not a great feeling.

“Feels like a defeat, bit of a cliché, the obvious thing to say at this stage, but we have taken a point and we can't ignore that, but it feels like we should have a lot more.”

Carrick defends mentality but concedes defensive concern

The manner of the goals conceded will sting. Both from range. Both into the top corner. Both avoidable in the build-up.

Asked whether United’s leaky defending comes down to mentality or coaching, Carrick pushed back on the idea of a soft core.

“The mentality is there,” he insisted. “I think there's obviously things we need to get better at as a team. That's two strikes from distance, really, two really good strikes from their point of view, so sometimes they fly in the top corner, and more often than not, they probably don't, so there's a little bit of that.

“But yeah, obviously we can't ignore it. We need to concede less goals to give us a better chance of winning games, but we'll certainly look at that and keep improving.”

He pointed to the fine margins that turned three points into one.

“I think that one strike from the edge, that goes in top the corner and changes the whole feeling, that few minutes,” he said. “There's, obviously, when you look back, there'll be loads of little things that you can do a little bit differently, of course, but he's put it in the top corner from well outside the box, so sometimes it's one of those things.”

Rashford scare after standout display

If the result hurt, the sight of Rashford coming off will have raised fresh alarm.

The forward had tormented Everton’s back line, constantly stretching the play, driving at defenders and linking sharply with Luke Shaw down the left. His substitution for Patrick Dorgu left many in the ground baffled.

Carrick revealed there was a physical issue behind the call.

“Yeah, he was feeling a bit of something,” he said when asked why Rashford had been withdrawn.

The United manager was full of praise for the 26-year-old’s form since returning.

“Yeah, he's done very well. As I said during the week, he's done ever so well since he came back. I thought he looked really sharp again today and dangerous.

“That final little moment didn't quite drop for him, but nevertheless, I thought he created really good opportunities, and there was a big threat throughout the game.”

Carrick also highlighted the growing chemistry on that flank.

“I think you're trying to build those partnerships and combinations throughout the team, really, and they've played together for quite some time now and have an understanding. And it's obviously up to us to build the understandings and combinations all the time.

“I thought we had that quite a lot through the middle of the pitch today at certain times, I thought we played some really good football through the middle of the pitch and obviously Bryan [Mbeumo] got his goal on the right, Marcus and Luke were particularly dangerous down that side.”

“We’ll be fine” – Carrick plays down talk of crisis

The dropped points will add to the noise around United’s start, especially after optimism built at the end of last season. Carrick, though, refused to paint it as a crisis.

On suggestions of a poor opening to the campaign, he replied: “We haven't started the season that bad, to be honest.

“Yeah, yeah, but it's not that bad, you know? We were a lot closer to coming away with three points today. That's football; there are moments that we can deal with a bit better, but we'll be fine.”

United do not have long to lick their wounds. They open their Champions League campaign on Thursday at home to Sabah, needing not just a result, but clarity on whether their main attacking threat, Marcus Rashford, will be fit enough to lead the line.