Manchester United’s Draw Feels Like a Defeat, Says Carrick
Michael Carrick admits Manchester United’s 2-2 draw “feels like a defeat” – and now faces an anxious wait over Marcus Rashford’s fitness.
United twice let the lead slip late on, and the mood around the manager’s press conference told its own story.
United let it slip – twice
Bryan Mbeumo had put United in control with a superb curling strike, the kind of finish that usually decides tight games. For most of the night, it looked like it might.
United managed the game, created chances, and carried a constant threat, with Rashford tormenting Everton down the left. The visitors looked to have done enough.
Then the chaos arrived.
Tyrique George hauled Everton level in the 83rd minute with a brilliant effort of his own, matching Mbeumo’s quality from distance and ripping the script to shreds. United responded, and quickly. Benjamin Sesko rose to head home two minutes from time, and Carrick’s side were back in front, seemingly over the line.
They weren’t.
On debut, Ainsley Maitland-Niles stepped up with a stunning strike into the top corner, denying United victory and leaving Carrick staring at the turf in disbelief.
“Yeah, we’re disappointed, bitterly disappointed,” he 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 admits defensive concern
United’s defending will again come under the microscope after conceding twice from range. Asked if the leaks at the back point to mentality or coaching issues, Carrick pushed back.
“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 flipped the game.
“I think that one strike from the edge, that goes in top the corner and changes the whole feeling, that few minutes. 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 sharp display
Rashford was one of United’s standout performers, repeatedly driving at Everton and combining dangerously with Luke Shaw. So when his number went up and Patrick Dorgu came on, eyebrows were raised.
Carrick’s explanation will concern United supporters.
“Yeah, he was feeling a bit of something,” the manager revealed when asked about the substitution.
Rashford’s form has been one of the bright spots of United’s early season, and Carrick was quick to praise him.
“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 understanding on the left 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 shrugs off start
The dropped points add to the sense of frustration around United’s start to the campaign, especially after the momentum built at the back end of last season. Carrick, though, refused to paint a bleak picture.
“We haven’t started the season that bad, to be honest,” he said. Pressed again on expectations, he doubled down.
“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 will need that conviction. They open their Champions League campaign on Thursday, at home to Sabah, with defensive questions still hanging and Rashford’s “bit of something” now a major subplot heading into Europe.
